See what we have accomplished?

We have lost 250 pounds as a group. That is comparable to:

A 7-10 cu ft. REFIGERATOR!

A female sealion!

An Iron Anchor for a ship!

And this crazy dude's pile of silly putty!

The Weight of a baby elephant at birth!

A Eurasian Reindeer!

Your average size market hog!

A female jaguar!

Two full size sheep!

Way to go, gorgeous, healthy babes!

Proud to be a part of this game of "Let's beat the flab" with you all.

Jules

Welcome LordLightLady!

Everyone at WAIWMIAWLI, I would like to introduce a new friend to our group. LordLightLady is a fellow Prism-ite and a fellow follower of all things healthy! We look forward to getting to know you better and receiving and giving encouragement to you through your journey in weight loss and good health. Please give us a bit of history, and we will add your "butter" count to our sidebar! Please bring your sense of humor (which I personally know you have in bountiful amounts) and your honesty! Welcome to the group, Lady!

I have a new goal!

I have a new goal to lose one hundred pounds. Originally I was going for an 85 pound loss, which would be awesome. But even with that much weight lost, I would still be a little over weight. Julie challenged me again, the other evening when we went out. Who says that we have to settle for looking ,'Good', when we have the ability to really become, and look,'Great?' Just because the numbers that we want to get to are so far off in the horizon, doesn't mean that we can't acheive them. For me, I haven't been down to 155 since high school. Twenty years people, TWENTY years. So, here I am, down 34 pounds and 1/3 of the way to my new goal. I'm going to need some extra encouragement. One hundred is such a large number. And, quite frankly, it is pretty intimidating. So, here's to working out, eating right, and drinking tons of water!
Just a few numbers:
Day 66: 1,435 calories, 11 glasses of water, workout
Day 67: 1,403 calories, 7 glasses of water
Day 68: ( only had breakfast so far) But I did work out! : )

I'm back!

So I have been hiding out because I've been sick and I haven't been doing so great but I'm motivated again and I'm back on! I weighed in today and I'm down 10.2 pounds total taking me below the 200 mark :) This makes me so happy! I had a bad weekend. I had a few drinks which count as 2 fats each (BAD) I also ate out and I was so hungry that I didn't make great decisions. I have less then 15 weeks left before we leave for Cabo so I need to pick myself back up and get moving. I've been working out more and getting more water in.

In Sympathy...

Dearest ladies, I thought I would bring to your attention a sadness that has effected one of our sweet members (and me as well). Jodie's(Queenlivalot) youngest brother, Kelly Aikins, died yesterday, he would have been 45 in May. Kelly had struggled with alcoholism for years and it just took a huge toll on his pancreas and other organs. He is the father of 3 daughters, A.J., Nicole and Julieanna and 1 son, James. Two of his children live in Brazil with their mother. Kelly was in Brazil at the time of his death and will be buried there. We are having a family memorial for him here in early April. Please uphold Jodie, her mother Janice, Kelly's father Jim, and the rest of the family up in prayer. Kelly is survived by three siblings: Jodie, Rick Ivie of Oregon, and Kim Smith of Alaska.

Love to all of you. Hold your families dear today.

Jules

Some more SICK pythons...

So sick in fact, I think my husband would literally hurl if I had them! Thanks for sharing about your pythons, that was great for a good laugh and I did use it on my hubby tonight and he was cracking up on that one! (Hope you don't mind I stole it from ya!)

Well here is my menu today:
Breakfast: cereal soy milk
Lunch: Chicken and wild rice soup w/ veggies
Snack: almonds, cereal
Dinner: cod, potatoes, broccoli, A SUPER yummy meal from the menu mailer
Snack: popcorn and one chocolate chip cookie my daughter made for me today while she was at her grandmas house.

update!

Hey y'all, I love hearing how everyone is doing. I'm still plugging along with Prism, I'm on week 5 (technically) and I get to weigh in on week seven, so I don't know how much I've lost. But people have begun to notice, which is great, my clothes are fitting way better and I'm just trucking along.
yesterday was a good day for me because my roomate made cookies, that smelt devine, and I didn't think seriously of having one. I just enjoyed the smell, and got oughta there! Also, last night for my evening snack I had this really good orange and I purposfully savored every bite, knowing that was all I could have. I was a real victory. The night before I scarfed my orange down and wanted another one, but had to "suffer" through not having another one. So just enjoying what I had was a great start.
I've settled into around 1100 calories a day with 7-9 glasses of water. I still need to intergrate exercise, I think I'm going to kick that in phase two.
Thanks for the stories and the support!
Mandi

I cheated...

Okay, Kristina had her pie, Tina her cookies, Lisa her Swedish Fish, SueAnne her retreat sugar...I stepped on the scale. I know I wasn't supposed to, but I had to. I have been Curious George over here, people! Well, the number was smaller. Not quite as dramatic as Miss 34.6 woman, but lower none the less! I am down another 4.4 pounds! I am just .6 away from a total 20 lbs. lost (since 1-6-06)! And 36.4 lbs. since I began this journey from my highest weight. Whoopee! I am widening the gap between me and that dreaded 200. I am soon to be "no where near 200 lbs." Which will be a happy thing. I already feel released from that label, but the numbers shrinking is my assurance. I am just 11 pounds away from breaking the obesity barrier! That is my next big goal. It might take me 5 or 7 weeks to do, but I am doing it, girls, I am doing it. As sure as time is marching on, so am I!

Love you all!
Jules

Happy but worried!

I am so happy that this is working. Seven weeks of dieting and I weighed in yesterday at Weight Watchers for a total loss of 11.2 pounds. I have been making good choices.

A huge challenge awaits me this coming week. Friday we leave for San Juan, Puerto Rico and Sunday we board our cruise ship.
If you have never been on a cruise there is food, food, food................... It's endless. I will be with 7 other family members so it's even harder to resist when every one else says "lets go get icecream" or "I know we just had dinner 2 hours ago but pizza sounds good" or "gee, both desserts sound good - yep, I think I'll try both" or "are you really going to have oatmeal when you could have eggs benedict with hash browns" or "OK, let's all meet back here at 11:30 so we can be the first in line for the midnight chocolate buffet" There will be good choices but it will be harder to make them. Would you eat a carrot stick when everyone else is having an ice cream cone? There will be a track to walk and an exercise room - which I intend to use frequently. Dancing will burn a few calories too.We also will be diving on 4 different days. Anyway, I will do my best but your prayers and tips would be helpful.

My hips are getting smaller, and my hair is getting shorter!

I got my hair colored in a shop yesterday for the first time in six years. I wanted to do something to reward myself for all of my hard work. I'm really happy with the color, and the cut is even a bit shorter than last time. I don't believe that my hair has ever been this short. : ) Anyhow, I'm totally digging this metamorphasis. I'm gonna be a cute sassy blonde for my high school reunion. Just watch!

Still on program today but....

Ok, I am still on program but here is my day:
Breakfast: english muffin w/ no sugar jelly and a banana
Lunch: big salad w/ couscous
Dinner: bean soup, salad, strudel, cookies (a few too many)

Here's the deal, we went to a party tonight and I baked cookies for it (and brought the soup that was completely core) but I grew week from the cookies. I think they were like cryptonite. So, I ate too many of them, however, I also did a kick *blank* workout this morning and really worked HARD, and I did not go over my flex points for the week, actually I still have some left. (wow was that a run on sentence or what?) So, I am giving myself a few emotional blows for eating them, while still trying to remember I can eat them and stay on program. Oh well...the rest are out of here tomorrow, so I won't have to fight that temptation. So, I plan to workout hard in martial arts tomorrow. I am still haning in there, but I usually like a few more points hanging around for the weekend. But I won't give up posting here so I can keep accountable.
Night all!
Tina

A little photo algebra

Refined sugar
White cake
The thing I love
Makes the thing I hate

I really, quite honestly, am in shock

Okay, so, I weighed myself again this morning. And despite the pie, and despite my period, I have lost another 2.2 pounds! This is like crazy for me. Anyhow, I wanted to weigh because at Curves they were having a contest during their annual food drive,( which is two weeks long), to see who could lose the most weight and body fat percentage. And I my friends, am the champion! : ) I won another t-shirt. Yippee! And so, I am currently at a 34.2 pound loss. I can't believe it. I really can't. But you know, I believe that most of the reason why I have succeeded this far is because of the body type that I am. I build, and retain muscle mass relatively easily. And we all know that the more muscle that you have, the easier it is to burn calories. Anyhow, I hope that I am encouraging you ladies, and NOT discouraging you by my weight loss. I almost feel bad because some of you have really struggled for every pound. Well, let me just say this, if you are not currently excersizing, I encourage you to do so. And drinking lots of water helps too. I need to kick my water drinking back up a couple of notches myself.

Do you know a good vet?

Child asks adult, "Do you know a good vet?"

Adult inquires, "Uh, yes. Why?"

Child makes arm muscle flex and answers, "Because, I have some SICK
PYTHONS!"

Here is to all the women in here who's pythons are getting sicker by the day :-)

Dr. Livingstone's Got Nothing On Me (or A Little Bit of Goofiness and a Confession)

Day 20 of this expedition and I found myself having problems controlling rations. Food consumption has increased without explanation. And yesterday I was distressingly attacked from out of nowhere by a horde of Swedish Fish. I had no choice but to devour them before any damage was done. Tomorrow, however, I resolve to increase my water rations; moderate to heavy exercise shall likewise help me avoid any adverse side effects of the Swedish Fish. Wish me luck.

(Okay, you caught me on a goofy day, but I gave into my sweet tooth yesterday while reading, but I'm back on track today. And not a moment too soon! Any more lapses like that and I won't be able to fit into my safari gear.) :)

This is how I've been feeling the last couple of days...

Periods can make a sane person kind of crazy... in more ways than one. It seems like all I've been wanting to do is snack. I even had some banana cream pie last night. ( We did have company over though). BUT, I did work out this morning, so that will help off set the pie... right? I'm hoping so. It's cool because I'm starting to see more definiton in my legs... like when I was much younger and athletic. They will never be the same, but I'm sure working hard to make them look as good as they can at this stage in my life.
Anyhow, I hope the rest of you are having a good
Monday. Here's the numbers from over the weekend:
Day 64: 1,529 calories, 8 glasses of water, workout
Day 65: 1,708 calories, 7 glasses of water. ( I know, I pigged out) : (

An Aha Moment!

Thursday night, I was at my Prism meeting, listening to a guy in our program talk about his success at the Y and feeling that his exercising was his most positive part of the program. As I listened, I had an Aha moment. I began to think about the incredible job my body was doing at assisting me in reaching my goals. Sure, I was putting good food, limited calories, and lots of water into my mouth, but from there on out, MY BODY was doing all the work. It has been chemically altering my fat and whisking it away from my vital organs and my middle and my everywhere. It has been generating energy to get me through the days and it has been converting all of this good nutrition into fuel.

For years, I always thought of my body as my worst enemy. I blamed my body for betraying me. Other people seemed to be able to eat whatever they wanted and they never grew fat. My sister's body seemed to be able to take the food and metabolize it quickly. Why couldn't my body? (Never mind the fact that my sister probably didn't consume as many calories as I suspected she did and that she was a first string player on our high school volleyball team). But since doing this program, I have seen that it was not my body's fault at all. My body is my best friend right now, doing all the hard work for me. Truthfully, it has been on my side from day one, but I have not treated it well.

I think it was Dr. Phil who said something like this, "You cannot be overweight unless you live a lifestyle to support it."

Amazing.

I have a neck!

I checked myself out in the mirror this morning, yes, that vain side of me is coming through...And I am ready to announce the debut of my neck! WhooHoo. I've got one! I am really seeing a definition in my face and neck and even my calves and legs. This stuff is working, by golly! I am starting my 67th day today and I have a feeling of satisfaction, hope and expectation. My emotional roller coaster for the month of February and early March is over (for at least another 3 1/2 weeks) and I am ready to be my pleasant, happy, encouraging self again! Let's go, ladies! My next weigh in won't be until April 5th or 6th, depending on when I get to the Y that 6th week of phase 2. I am in my third week, now. My calories I am shooting for are 1100-1300. If I end up working out 5 days (I have 2 days done so far), then I can have as much as 1500 a day, but I am trying to stay around the 1300 mark, regardless.

Here are my recent totals:

Day 61: 1304 calories, 8 glasses of water.
Day 62: 1159 calories, 8 glasses of water.
Day 63: 1100 calories, 8 glasses of water.
Day 64: 1064 calories, 11 glasses of water, worked out.
Day 65: 1129 calories, 8 glasses of water, worked out.
Day 66: 1394 calories, 8 glasses of water.

Back in the saddle again...

Hello friends!
Just returning from women's retreat. Aaaaahhhh. Spiritual renewal...The Lord is so good.

HOWEVER. My food choices...........Could've been better, could've been worse.The busy-ness of the weekend made it difficult to write down and track everything, in fact I recorded nothing. I definately didn't consume enough water, and ate sweets that I would not have eaten sticking to my plan. However, there was still no binging and no overeating. I am not feeling defeated and like a failure, but I am happy to be back in my "structured" and "normal" life so that I can resume my journey. My last post listed a few things to enjoy with these good, lifestyle changes even when the scale is not budging. Today, let me refresh your memory on a few things that I don't miss.......

That lovely, bloated feeling when you have consumed too much sugar.

Sugar head aches and blood sugar "crashes".

A giant, painful gas bubble in your abdomen that won't go anywhere.

The taste of GAS-X

The not-so-sexy feeling I have when that gas bubble finally turns into flatulence!

Have a great week ladies!
SueAnne

This says it all....

Sunday 3/5

Just getting my journal in here...it really is helping! Thanks, Julie, for the advice!

Breakfast: oatmeal w/ raisins, stevia and cinammon
Lunch: huevos rancheros, apple sauce
Snack: banana
Dinner: well, the family wanted Burger King so I had a bowl of cereal, TA DAAAAA! (and a bit of brown rice)
Snack:cottage cheese and pineapple, and a fudge bar
WOO HOO! I did it! I did not blow the rest of the weekend! I went off for Friday night, but regained it and stuck to it for the rest of the weekend! Thanks all for just being here!

How the weekend is going...

Ok, well things are not too bad so far. I am a bit sad and frustrated with my hubby...and it makes me want to eat. Thankfully I am going dancing tonight...so I will burn a bunch of calories and workout my frustration and sadness.

Breakfast: 1 egg and 3 pcs facon
Snack: bowl of cereal, small piece of bread
Lunch: facon and lettuce sandwich, I had no tomato, what a bummer
Dinner: steak, potatoes, peas, carrots
Snack: popcorn and a oj
Lots of water. Not bad...now just to get through tomorrow! PS I had 3 roasted marshmallows too, still not going off program! I did it for TODAY! YAY!

I'm like a fast moving locomotive... there's no stopping me!!

You guys, for the whole week I've lost just about another four pounds! I'm up to 32 pounds exactly! I've not been at this weight for SIX YEARS. Six whole years. I was so happy on the way home from Curves this morning that I cried a little bit. And I thought to myself, if I can make it this far, what's stopping me from going for the whole enchilada? Nothing, absolutely NOTHING!
And I did something else this week. Something that I am rather proud of. I worked out a solid six times. : ) I know, it is a bit much. But I am so stinking determined to get this fat off of my body. Let me tell ya, this summer I am going to wear shorts. Probably every day. Despite those nagging spider veins. In the past I've been too embarrassed to wear them any where other than my own yard. Well, not any more baby. Not any more!
Here's my stats:
Day 61: 1,450 calories, 10 glasses of water, workout
Day 62: 1,334 calories, 7 glasses of water, workout
Day 63: 1,628 calories, 7 glasses of water, workout

Going Strong...

... Despite all odds, it would seem!! I've been exercising, and eating well! I'm thrilled about that. There have been tough times- like late afternoon, when I'm home from work and dinner's not ready yet- I always used to snack at those times, but now I distract myself and wait patiently. Also when my mood is not the best it's hard not to try and find fattening and tempting things to dig in to. But I'm trying very hard to separate my emotions from my eating habits. I'm not perfect, but am getting there.

Even though I don't comment all the time, I'm reading the posts and am finding it incredibly encouraging. I'm not struggling through this alone, and if other people can lose I can too!!!

Weekends are my hardest times...

Ok, well here we are at the weekend....I am really going in with the attitude that I am going to do this right. But to start I will get you updated on this evening. Well, first, I will tell you I have a regular date with a very good friend of mine, we meet the 2nd Friday of every month. Normally we go out to dinner and then do something fun. Tonight we tried a new Italian place, it was superb by the way. (it is called Smashed Tomatoes and it is right across the street from the Children's museum in Everett) Anyway, I went in thinking, I will enjoy myself but make good choices. Yeah right. I chose the garlic chicken in asiago sauce on fettucini. Oh yum. Well, I ate my bread (thankfully they only give you one piece) and most of my dinner as well as a salad. But here is the upside, I had saved nearly all of my points for this evening, so I don't think I went over much what I was allowed, not to mention I never eat extra for the workouts I get in every day. (which on Weight Watchers you can add more food if you exercise). So, all in all not bad. But I will need some serious encouragement here to keep up the good work for the whole weekend. My attitude is good, I am not going to be eating anymore this evening. So, I will get in here and post tomorrow and let you all know how it goes. Just knowing you all are here really helps!
Here is the menu for the rest of the day:
Breakfast: cereal w/ soymilk
Lunch: Bean burrito and water
Snack: banana
Dinner: well you already read it, boy was it good! That place ROCKS! And if you go have the pesto ceasar dressing, a-m-a-z-i-n-g!

Night all!

I didn't do it!

I resisted the urge to weigh! I was at the Y, that is where I do my weigh ins because they have a great scale, and I resisted. In my program, I am supposed to only weigh at the end of a phase. That means, I can't weigh in until April. This is a hard rule for me, but I know it makes sense. I just want to update my butter sticks so badly!

On another note, I tried on two pairs of pants that I wore when I was at my lowest weight, and I could button them and zip them! I am closer to actually being able to breathe in one pair than the other, but I am greatly encouraged. I didn't really think I could even button them. Yippee! I am changing, girls, just melting away!

Jules... a prelude to our date

Princess part 2, originally uploaded by willemkristina@verizon.net.

I had to do it, I mean, I just had to. And no, there is not a gown to go with these. I did however find a fabulous red jacket last night that I couldn't resist. ( I'm thinking only of you dear one) I want to look lovely for you.:)
I'm looking forward to our date!
I love you,

Kristina

Girl Power and Weight Loss!

We are doing it - an inch at a time, a pound at a time. WOW, can you believe it - we have lost almost 240 pounds. I know my part is small, but 8.2 pounds is a big thing to me. Kristina is having a great success with her incredible recent weight loss but we should not forget that for some of us it takes longer. Every pound is really important to the person who lost it. It means a change in lifestyle and choosing to make better decisions on a daily basis. It means going forward when you didn't see the results you wanted or when you have slipped up and indulged. Nothing can beat the feeling of standing on that scale and seeing lower numbers or trying on clothes that you haven't been able to get into for a long time and having them fit. I have boxes of clothes waiting for me. I used to joke about myself and say I belonged to "the size a month club". I will be packing for a cruise to the Caribbean next week. I am looking forward to trying on my size 12's summer shorts and capri's. Here's to GIRL POWER and weight loss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have witnessed a miracle!

I have seen it...No, not the appearance of the Blessed Mother on my wonder bread, not the regrowth of Jeff Woodward's hair, not even the clean bedrooms of my children...I have seen the unmistakably "narrower" Kristina! She came over yesterday, an amazing 30.6 lbs. lighter, and swept me off my feet. Literally. Crushing ribs 3 and 4 in the process. For a brief moment, I was no longer earth bound, she just lugged me right off of the planet's surface, ladies!

It was so great to see her glowing and excited and full of expectation and hope! She really looked terrific and she had the best time trying on clothes that I have just recently shrunk out of. She looked adorable. She made me scared, frightened even, because she is going to pass me up, I think she is going to be thin and beautiful and I will still be frumping away! Oh well, so be it. (I am just kidding, of course.) She just may sweep the awards at the Spring Hurrah....Figures.

Congrats to Krissy G!
She wants us all to see
The more water she drinks
The more she pees

And the more she flushes
The pounds fall away
Until her husband just gushes
With pride as he says

Oh, Babe
What a Babe
She's my Babe
Oh, Babe

(Okay, Willem is a little more articulate than that...just keeping it family friendly, ya all.)

Signing Off
Miracle Witnesser
Former Owner of Baggy Butt Jeans
Jules

A happy recipiant of miss baggy butts' clothes

I saw Julie yesterday and she generously gave me two bags of cool clothes that she has shrunk out of. Most of them fit me wonderfully. There's a couple of tops that I really need to lose a little more to feel comfortable in. But I am a happy camper. Thanks Jules, you blessed me! It just feels awesome to have clothes in a smaller sizes that fit properly. They really are more flattering when they're not hanging on you. :)
I've had a good week so far. I had my fourth workout this morning. Who knows, I may just go for the justo and get a solid six in this week. Now, that would be a first!
Well, here's my numbers:
Day 59: 1446 calories, 9 glasses of water, workout
Day 60: 1,653 calories, (whoops), 9 glasses of water, workout
Day 61: 1,450 calories, 10 glasses of water, workout

Kickin BUTT (not your saggy jean butt Julie, just general butt)

Ok, so we are now learning lock moves in martial arts. It is where you take another persons arm, twist it into a pretzel and squeeze until they wince in pain and hopefully they will "tap" (which is where you tap with your other hand to be released, notification of pain) out. I was paired up with a teenage boy. Unfortunately on my Weds class, it is all boys and one mama, me. Hmmm, it's a teensy bit weird. Or maybe a lot weird. So here I am, all 5'3" of me and what do I have to do to this teenage boy? I have to straddle him. Yup, you read that right. Ok, talk about a little uncomfortable. Glad I have known him since he was shorter than me, and I kind of feel like I might owe his mom an apology. Wait til she hears, "Jordan's mom had to straddle me today in martial arts and do arm locks on me for 40 minutes!". (Oh, and did I tell the story here where another teenage boy in class hit me in the boob? Well, if not, maybe I will later, I am still in therapy over that one) Nice. Thanks Master Chang. So anway, he is a higher ranking belt than me, well actually everyone is. Anyway, I was able to practice these locks on him the whole time so I could understand how they are done (he being the higher rank, he doesn't need the practice like I do). Let me tell you, I was exhausted! I have seen my son do this for years, and thought "He is just sitting there, hardly moving at all, how could he be so winded and tired?" Ha. Never judge what you have not done. It is HARD work to get their arms in those awkward positions, remembering all the moves you have to do and then to do it hard enough to get them to be in pain! So, long story short, I am still really enjoying martial arts, except the boob and straddling thing. (that sounds so bad it makes me giggle) I am getting a great workout and learning a thing or two (or at least I hope) about defending myself. Maybe I will gain a little more self confidence out of the whole deal and not be such a chicken all the time.

Here is today's menu:
Breakfast: cereal soy milk
Lunch: veggie stir fry over brown rice w/ hoisin sauce
Snack: pineapple w/ cottage cheese
Dinner: enchiladas and salad
Snack: banana and ice cream sandwich, chocolate! YUM!

Slow and steady wins the race right?

Here are my stats for the week. I weighed in tonight (WW) and I was down a whopping .6 of a pound! I am rejoicing in this ladies. Better down than up:)

Total bank points used: 22
mochas: 2

Things to enjoy when the scale doesn't obey.........

Looser clothing!

That feeling 10-30 minutes after you've eaten and you realize you are not overstuffed and you don't need to unbutton your pants!

Your husband saying "You're my little hotty".

Enjoying ONE serving of girl scout cookies and knowing you could've eaten the whole box.

We Ate It, We Moved It, and We Lost It blogger site. Encouraging words from friends.

Thinking about the pounds you have lost and picturing that many sticks of butter hanging from your body:)

Your Chiropractors secretary not recognizing you because you look so good.

Working out, feeling good about it and NOT feeling like you will drop dead immediately.

Publishing pictures of your baggy butt jeans on the internet!

Love you guys!
SueAnne

New Goal

One thing you guys don't know about me is that I am an absolute retirement-planning fool. I am all about tucking money away today so that I will have the option to retire when I want. Okay, maybe not when I want - otherwise you could throw me a party next week - but I want the ability to look up one day when I'm 52 and say "Okay, I've had a good run, see you in the funny papers."

One of the big concerns facing many retirees is outliving their savings. If you've planned on 20 years of retirement, you retire at age 65, but live to be 94 - well, you can see the problem. 9 years worth of problems to be exact.

(I swear this is getting back to a blog-related topic)

I was playing with MSN Money's Life Expectancy Calculator and found out that at the rate I'm going, I should plan on living to be 93. Sounds good, right? Well, they tell me that if I weighed 151, I'd get an extra 9 years! Think about what you could do with an extra 9 years: the grandbabies and great-grandbabies you could play with, the books you could read, the time you could spend with people you love. Count me in.

So I have a new goal: 151. I'll just have to save my pennies accordingly.

Pineapple overload!

Hello ladies-
Thought I would post a quick up-date. I have been on an emotional diet for about the last three weeks. I have really been cycling through my own thoughts, beliefs, worries etc. I have been asking myself why I always put me last on my to do list. Big questions hu? Being a stay at home mom and a homeschooling mom doesn't give me much time alone. I have just begun to realize the effect that pushing my needs aside has had on my body. TIME- is a huge factor. It takes time to care for oneself. MONEY- is another huge factor. How can I justify spending money on myself when things are so tight right now. So... I put things off, I sacrifice and what happens? When I see the Starbucks sign I think " ah, a latte', I deserve one of those. I have worked hard and I am going to reward myself" So, I go get the latte'. Now this is actually a form of self sabotage!!! By not celebrating ME on a regular basis with good choices (such as a trip to the spa, a massage, a girls night out etc..) I rebel against the voice that says I am not worth celebrating and give in to bad choices out of rebellion. Does that make sense?
So..... I have decided to celebrate all that I am. I have given myself a certain number of things that I get to do per month just for the heck of it. This isn't a celebration of weightloss, or a reward for having earned something. This is just self care. Even if it is a trip to the bookstore for two hours and one new book a month. Doing this has made me appreciate me more. I am showing me that I value ME. This has added great strength to my will power regarding weightloss. I am not thinking "I need to lose weight, or I should lose weight" I am thinking I am gaining my body back for me! How cool is that!
All this week I have been doing a liver cleanse. It has left me feeling very uneasy inside! I am not having fun with this at all!! However I have been told that a liver cleanse is a great place to start as far as weight loss goes as it is the main processor of fats and aids in their removal from the body. So, for the last few days, due to the complications of my liver cleanse, I have been eating nothing but pineapple! Only fruit the doctor said. So I am now on day 2 and 1/2 of fruit and water only. I must say that I am doing fairly well. I feel pretty good and I am glad to be cleaning out my system. I also think I may be turning into a pineapple. I do know that I will be ready to eat better when I am done with this. It is amazing how a fast of some kind can bring more awareness to you regarding food and what it does to you. I walked 5 miles on Monday and will do weights today. I will keep you all posted regarding the progress of this cleanse.
Celebrate yourselves today, just for being exactly who you are!
Jenny

Hiya

Ok, sorry it has been a while...we have been really busy. I am proud to say that I am doing just fine. The weekends are still a struggle for me lately, but hopefully that will be different this weekend.

Monday and Tuesday this week I ate great.
Here is yesterdays menu:
Breakfast: cereal w/ soy milk
Lunch: cottage cheese w/ pineapple
Snack: two corn tortillas w/ avocado and pico de gallo
Dinner: Hoisin chicken w/ brown rice and green beans
Snack: skinny cow ice cream sandwich and popcorn
Drink: lots of water and an oj.

Not bad! Ok, things are looking up, my jeans are definately getting a little baggy again! Finally! Yippee!

I told you they were baggy!

Here are two before shots...same pants, different color, but exact same size. These were taken by my kids last June.
They were tight...they even had that magical stretch material in them that we all just LOVE...
And today...
Bag city....
Okay, so these are not the most flattering shots of me! You should have seen my sweet children when I asked them to take a photo of my butt. However, this is the evidence of my shrinking self. These pants, a size 16 with stretch material in the jeans, were tight on me in December. I don't know if I can scrounge up a photo of me wearing them before they became so baggy (I did!), but I think you get the picture! I love this!

I have added our blog links to the sidebar.

Total Pounds Lost

I think I will keep a running total of the groups total pounds lost! This blog is soon to have more stats than Major League Baseball!

Jules

A full 60 days behind me!

Well, ladies, how is it going? Haven't heard from many of you in the last few days...Hope everyone is ok. I am at the tale end of this blasted cold. My sweet daughter was diagnosed with a Bladder/kidney infection yesterday, and my puppy had the runs for three days! How about them apples? I have been sticking to my program, minus the exercising, and minus some enthusiasm, but I am shrinking away out of my clothes, which is a tremendous joy to me. I have not weighed myself, my next "official" weigh in day is not until April. I might cheat a bit on that...So tempting. But for now, I am trying to stick with their plan.

Day 55: 1342 calories, 8 glasses of water
Day 56: 1310 calories, 6 glasses of water
Day 57: 1229 calories, 8 glasses of water
Day 58: 1310 calories, 8 glasses of water
Day 59: 1202 calories, 8 glasses of water
Day 60: 1274 calories, 7.5 glasses of water

It feels good to have 60 full days behind me. It is a good start. I would rather be here than just starting out, but I would like that "honeymoon" feeling to return. I think it will as spring arrives. I am so glad that our blog membership is growing! It will be great to see what these new women contribute and what wonderful goals they will all accomplish! Lets unite to cheer one another on, girls! And please feel free to invite other friends to join. I wonder if we will get any men on our roster???

Jules

The big Three- O

I have done it. I have lost my first thirty. Well, 30.6 to be exact. This morning at Curves after I weighed, I walked over to the other women with my arms raised up, like a champion, and proudly proclaimed my success. What a great feeling. What a way to start the morning off. One day at a time, one meal at a time. I will make it to my goal! : )

TA-DA !!! I did it! I found the secret to losing weight ! No diets !!! NO exercise!!! (ok so I had to walk around Disneyland..which is no easy feat!) All you have to do is go to Disneyland and find the nice, nice man in the booth marked Cartoons of you.....and walaa.....there it is!!

(P.S. that's probably about how big my head would be...if it were only true!!)

RUN! Girl Scout Cookies in the house!!!!

Hello ladies!
It has been an interesting week with the flu and all. And the girl scout cookies I ordered from my friend's daughters (before the big life style change) have arrived. I have enjoyed one serving this week. I suppose knowing the point value keeps me to one serving instead of the whole box! It is a good thing!

Frank and I went on our date night. Went to Famous Dave's for the first time. I have definately enetered into the gray area in my food choices this weekend. Still counting, still pointing, but not as many healthy choices. Famous Dave's was wonderful. I enjoyed ribs, garlic mashed potatos and onion strings. Not exactly healthy choices, however, I ate very small portions, enjoyed every bite and didn't leave feeling stuffed! Calling it a succes! Enjoyed the time and my husband too! It's all good.

Here is this weeks info so far...
Day22 (15 pts.) ;4 glasses of water, 3 fruit servings (sick day-survived)
Day 23 (24+ pts); 12 glasses of water;2 fruit and veggies
Day 24 (24+ pts); 6 glasses of water; 4 fruit and veggies (Famous Dave's day)
Day 25 (24+ pts); 8 glasses of water; 5 fruit and veggies
Day 26 (8 pts -so far); 8 glasses of water; 1 fruit and 4 veggies

bank points used so far this week:22
mochas this week:1 (yes only 1!)

Kimiko, Jo, and I have women's retreat this weekend. That will be hard. They feed us 3 squares a day which is good for me, but the goody table is always open. Sweets -my weakness -yikes!

Something kinda cool happenned

Well, guess what happened to me? I just went to the chiropractor to get adjusted, and the part time receptionist, who knows everyone's name, DID NOT RECOGNISE ME. She hasn't seen me for a few months, and so I went ahead and told her my last name. Well, she said, rather embarrassed,'I'm sorry Kristina, I didn't recognise you'. So, this is a good thing, right? It rather made my day. Anyhow, here's some numbers:
Day 53: 1,373 calories, 8 glasses of water, workout
Day 54: 1,334 calories, 9 glasses of water,
Day 55: 1,609 calories, 9 glasses of water, workout
Day 56: 1,449 calories, 7 glasses of water,

Momentum

Dear Ladies,

I am terrified of the scales, because I am terrified of any discouragement I may encounter after all of you have motivated the heck out of me. That's why I haven't stepped on since I joined you two weeks ago.

My scales routine is very cautious. Before I step on, I get in my mind what I think they will say and highball the estimate by a couple of pounds. "195" I'll say before I step on, even though I know I might cry if that's what the scales really show. "Barbecue, chocolate, jelly beans," and yes, Jules, "cupcakes," I'll think, going through all of the bad things I've eaten since I last weighed. And when I step on, my eyes are shut. I have to take a couple breaths before I can look.

Today I am 5.5 lbs below where I started two weeks ago. I feel so grateful to all of you that I could cry. I've lost weight before, but it has never been as easy as it has been knowing that you are all cheering me and eachother on. Thank you.

22 sticks of butter down. On to 40!

All my love,
Lisa

Prayer

Lord,
I don't like this battle much, I confess. But I embrace it as your chosen path for me. I don't have any strength of my own to say no to my addictions. To break and form new habits. To recognize and change destructive patterns. I ask not that you strengthen me to fight the battle, but that in my weakness, you live your resurrected life in me and through me. Clothe me in humility, so that whether I ever shed another pound, my life reflects the beauty of your love, your peace and your work in me. Let me not become so focused on a goal that I lose sight of all that is truly important. Thank you for the changes on the outside and within me. And may even this thorn in my flesh be used for your glory and to bless others. In times of plenty and times of suffering, may my hearts cry be ....Blessed be the name of the LORD
In the name of Jesus,
Amen

Welcome Kristin! Blast from the Past Girl!

Hey, welcome, to one of my most favorite and inspirational friends! I just am so Psyched that you are here with us! You will so love this group of ladies. Some you know and others you will feel like you have known forever. Bring your honesty and your encouragement and even if you don't post something each day, comment on what others have to say...It is addicting, like chocolate, but safer, and healthier, and more productive....'Nough said! We are back in touch...What a gift that is. You are a gift.

this darn bug...

Hey Ladies, I too have been dealing with the whole cold thing. Thursday afternoon I was hit by an exhaustion wave and within hours I knew I was on the brink of something. I left work early yesterday and just relaxed and found that I was craving things I associated with being sick. salteen crackers, popcicles and the like. I did good, just had soup without the crackers, had diet 7-up, and sucked on frozen strawberries, but I was really amazed at the cravings that came. I've only been on my plan for 15 days, and this was my first real cravings experience. When I was exhausted driving home on Thursday afternoon I thought, three weeks ago I would have gone directly to taco time and then got a blizzard to accompany my dinner. It was really insightful to recognize how I would deal with stress and try to deal with it in a different manner.
Last night I went to a friends house for dinner, a family I used to go to church with. I'm fairly certain I went over my calorie mark because the soup she made (which was delicious) had cream cheese and sour cream and butter in it (corn chowder). But I only had a bowl of that and a small salad with lots of water. What would you guys suggest doing in that situation. My priority in that situation was to avoid offending people I love dearly and don't get to see often. just one of those road blocks in this journey I guess.

Can this really work?

Am I beginning to lose faith? Has my hope disappeared? I feel like I am definitely in the shadow of doubt and worry, lately. Will I really lose this weight by writing down all I eat, drinking water and making it to the Y? It just seems like a fairytale. Day 58, is where I am at. I have been doing this just long enough to feel the doubt and to hear the voices that say, "You won't succeed. How can this be the plan? It must be harder, more complex, something out of your reach. If it was this simple, you would have done it a long time ago, everyone would be doing this if it was this simple." I hate that voice. I hate the doubts. I can be such a baby. And when will this "damn" cold be gone, anyways? I feel like I am being picked on by every virus on the planet! Pity party...Saturday morning, my house, bring your own complaints.

I know it's only Costco, but what the hay?!

I know you guys are probably laughing at me for posting another picture of myself... but I just felt so cute today in my new denim skirt. : ) Earlier, I had thought to myself; ' Now, I know it's not Sunday, and I'm only taking the boys to Costco, but why don't ya throw on your new skirt?' It felt so wonderful to get beautified for something as simple as getting some groceries. I'm just feeling, well... pretty. For the first time in a long time. I'm noticing that I am far more confident than I was just two short months ago.

Misbehaving

I am so disgusted with myself at the moment that I almost don't want to tell you guys this, but I guess I have to. I've been bad. Really bad. Since yesterday.

It's bad of the barbecue, okra, cupcake-with-sprinkles, german potatoes kind of bad.

But now, having confessed, I shall go forth and sin no more. From this point on I will be Miss Behaving rather than Misbehaving.

Friday Weigh In

And I'm up .5.
Yippee for me. I decided I"m paying for the week and a half or so I messed around before this week. I hope so. So next week will be better. Right? Right???

Update

Hi ladies-
I thought I would check in. I have done fairly good this week. I am pleased with my first week effort but I need to bump it up a notch next week. Yesterday I walked 5.1 miles and did 10 minutes on the elliptical machine. Today I did some push ups and sit ups and then I went to the spa. How is that for exercise. Well I did sweat a lot! Tomorrow it is more walking and some weight lifting! Today I drank 80 ounces of water. That's about it.
Jenny

Checking in

Hiya!
Ok, well, the weekend was bad...not horrible, but not good either. So, we will move past that now and get down to this week. So far so good, I am still on program although I have been very munchy and have eaten up most of my "flex points"...but I am still feeling good and confident. Here is todays menu:

Breakfast: smoothy (I am now adding flax oil and linoleic acid to them...more supplements!)
Lunch: Progresso barley chicken soup, YUM!
Dinner: 10 corn chips w/ bean dip or salsa, tamales w/ rice and whole beans
Snack: I will get back to you, I am still full from dinner, so hopefully nothing!
Went to martial arts today. My arm is sore from people twisting it behind my back and reefing (is that how you spell that) on my wrist tell I cry out in pain. Why am I taking this class again? OH yeah, and he had us falling on the ground, how many calories do you burn falling down and getting back up again about 20 times?
Night all!
Tina
PS Welcome to all of the new ladies! Glad you are here with us!

Hi Everyone!

Hi Ladies,
My name is Coreen and I have been reading your blog for awhile now. I am so inspired by each one of you so I emailed Juile to tell her what you all were doing for me and that I was so proud of her as well.
I have struggled with my weight my whole life and a terrible event happened in my life that made me gain weight and exceed my heaviest point. I saw the Kristy Alley comercials and I went on the Jenny Craig website to check it out. While I was there I noticed that they needed consultants in my area. I thought what I wonderful thing that I could do not only get myself on a life change but to help others that are struggling. I started working there in December then after I got to know the program better I joined all the other clients on their journey. I just finished up my 5th week (weighed in today) and I am down 9.4 pounds :)

Thank you for the warm welcome and for keeping me inspired.
Coreen

Welcome Corrie!

Hey, girl! So glad to see you here! Everyone, gather around, this is my good friend Coreen, aka Corrie. She lived with our family for awhile in Seattle and is one of the sweetest flowers in my friendship garden. Ok, that last bit was very corny, but you get the point. She just got a job at Jenny Craig's, so she is getting with the program. Maybe she could get us a personal interview or special blog appearance by Kirsty Alley! Ha! Welcome, Corrie, and post, post, post. And bring advice, will ya?

Welcome JosieAnna!

Sorry this welcome mat is a little late, I have been sick. I hope you find in this blog a source of friendship, camaraderie and hope. Bring your honesty and your sense of humor and a willingness to succeed. And mark your calendar for the Spring Hurrah (May 20th) and plan to shine!

Week 3 weigh in

Hello friends,

I went to WW for my weigh in and I am down another pound. This is 7 all together. Just 3 pounds from my first goal. Like Jules though, I have caught a nasty flu. I got out of bed to go get weighed (it is my understanding that WW charges you even when you don't show up). I walked right back out the door. I am happy to be down seven pounds and I know the plateaus will inevidably set in, but I am enjoying the ride for now!

So...Hi-ho....Hi-ho, it's off to bed I go....Praying for you Jules and hope you are feeling better soon!

SueAnne

A Poetic Moment...Sort Of

I took "before the Blog" pictures today

And nobody will get to see them

Not even people who see me in "real" life

Until there are "after" pictures

To show how far I've come.

______

Not exactly haiku, but it was enough motivation to get me to work out today and to keep me from trying to fix a bad day at work with chocolate!

In the name of honesty

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this week have been GREAT. I've done really good and made lots of good choices.

All due to a meltdown on Monday because up until then, I've really been cheating alot. Taking Friday "off" and letting "off" roll into the weekend. You can only lose weight for so long when you're only doing it 4 days out of the week. I've been kidding myself, but I'm the one who pays.

Monday I determined to do this full force. I'm doing real exercise, am allowed one indulgent meal per week (I already have this week's planned, it's a burrito on Sunday!), and must write everything down. I can do this. I have to.

Billy Blanks (from Tae Bo fame) of all people has given me my weight loss mantra. I do his Billy Blanks Basic Boot Camp video. For a basic video, it's intense. Anyway, in the abs part (the hardest part) he says "You're fighting for your life!" like only Billy can.

I'm fighting for my life.

Home sick today,girls.

Hey crew, I am home with the icky flu today. Blake had to stay home from work just to cover for all my many duties around here. I couldn't even get out of bed and "fake it". Asking for prayers from ya all. I got the same crud the other three family members got after Disneyland. No fun. No fair. I was supposed to work out today. The way my plan works, I have to work out 5 days a week to earn more eating calories each day. The only problem is that life can be unpredictable, like this, and you can have all the intentions of working out 5 times, but then something comes up. I have been using more calories each day to cover my 5 day work out, but I have only worked out 4 days so far...I am sure I won't be able to work out tomorrow. Woe is me....Here are my stats, then I am going back to bed:

Day 50: 1482 calories, 13 glasses of water, exercised
Day 51: 1449 calories, 11 glasses of water, exercised
Day 52: 1313 calories, 8 glasses of water
Day 53: 1451 calories, 14 glasses of water, exercised
Day 54: 1488 calories, 11 glasses of water, exercised

I'm reaching for the stars, and have achieved my first goal!

I am pleased to report, that this morning after weighing, I have met, and conquered my first major goal! I've lost another 1.6 pounds and am down 28.6 pounds to date. I'm EXACTLTY 1/3 of the way to my 85 pound ultimate goal. Oh, I'm feeling so good! And I've got shopping on the brain. But I've already told myself that I can't buy any more new clothes until I've lost at least another 10.
Anyhow, here's the numbers for the last couple of days.
Day 50: 1,192 calories, 12 1/2 glasses of water, workout
Day 51: 1,376 calories, 9 glasses of water, workout