Jamie week 2

So I just met my fiancé for lunch. On my way there listening to the radio I heard an ad. It went something like this. "We have too many risk free trials and too few risk free participants. Call this number if you want to lose pounds in days. If you want to lose up to 30 pounds call is now. Just take one of our pills a day and lose pounds in days. " I laughed out loud and said to myself blah blah blah. This ad made me change what my original subject was going to be to my new subject this week. "Gimmicks do NOT work"
I've tried them all. In my desperate mess I've taken many many pills I shouldn't have. I've believed every single one of those stupid ads and wasted lots of money. The best part was the name of the pill, company or anything g was mentioned in this ad. Just a phone number. The old me would have called it ordered it and failed.
Yes I love weight watchers. Yes it worked for me. YES it was a life style change nit a fad diet. I'm not saying everyone should join weight watchers. I'm saying everyone should find the life style change that works for them, that they can easily do and that will make you laugh at these ads.
Another laugh I had.  Now I love Dr Oz. I actually time my runs on the treadmill when he's on so I can watch it. But he had Hypnosis for weight loss. So imagine this, I'm on the treadmill, talking myself into that 5th mile, sweating like a pig and Dr Oz says literally "no need to workout with this". Bahahahaha. Then why am I doing this? Get me a magician quick. Lol!!

Wins : was so tired Friday but I set a goal last week to run 5 miles. Since I have the Nike app and it automatically uploads my runs to Facebook, I needed my blog friends to see that yes I did it. So I did it.

Opps : where to start.  My eating was fairly well but I gave in to a few bad items. The owner at Gloria Jeans gave me a free cookie so I ate it. It was $1 pretzel day at Auntie Anne's for mall employees so I ate one.
Weight 135 these last 5 pounds may be the end of me.
Goal next week : avoid $1 pretzel day and hit 5.5 miles Sunday.
Take aways: I've already learned an awesome new dish to make!!

Cayla -Week 2

Cayla - Week 2

 Slow and Steady Wins the Race!

Weight Loss This Week: 0 lbs

Total Weight Loss So Far: 14 lbs

Eating Plan: I am currently following the Paleo plan and discovering new healthy food every day!

Exercise Plan:  A minimum of 5 times a week at 5am Monday - Friday. One of these days is with a personal trainer.

New Weight Loss or Diet Knowledge to Share:  It has really hit me this week... If I keep putting my health, exercise and goals off I will be in the same spot I'm in now or worse three months from now. If I persist...looking back in three months I'm bound to see a change! This is helping me to not give up!

Goals This Week: Work out 5 days a week and lose 3 pounds. I have met my workout goal and I am looking to add an additional workout on Saturday. I did not lose any weight this week...I'm still not sure why.

I have lost one inch in my waist since January 7th. I haven't had a chance to measure the rest of my body...I will update this next week.

Little Victories: I had a serious addiction to Starbucks Chai Tea Latte. I went every single day without fail for months. I have gone 25 days without my Chai Tea Latte (I feel like I'm in AA!)

Overall Goals: My immediate goal is 50 pounds....I have 36 more to go. Total Goal 125 pounds...111 to go (I'm looking forward to this number getting much smaller!).

Recipe's to Share: 5 Ingredient Breakfast Stuffed Acorn Squash  (I modified this recipe a bit.) You can go to this link for the original recipe http://paleomg.com/5-ingredient-breakfast-stuffed-acorn-squash/

Prep time:  25 min

Cook time:  15 min

Total time:  40 min

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups Jimmy Dean's Pre cooked Turkey Sausage Crumbles
• 1 acorn squash, cut in half, seeds removed
• 4 eggs
• 1 yellow onion, diced 
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place acorn squash cut-side down into a microwave safe dish with a half cup of water.
3. Microwave for 10 minutes
4. Remove from microwave and let cool.
5. While your acorn squash is cooking, add a tablespoon of some kind of fat to a large pan over medium heat (I used bacon fat) then add your minced garlic and diced onion.
6. Stir around to keep from burning.
7. Once your onions become translucent, add your breakfast sausage to the pan.
8. Add Acorn squash and mix everything together in the pan and get it hot
9. Use a square baking dish and spray the bottom and sides with cooking spray. Place mixture in the dish and spread evenly.
10.  Take 4 eggs and a splash of coconut milk and whisk together.
11. Pour egg mixture over squash and sausage mixture in the baking sheet.
12. Place oven to cook for 10-15 minutes or until egg-cooked preference.
13. Serve!

I cook this recipe in advance divide it in two and then take to work the next day and heat up for breakfast. It is delicious and I feel like I'm eating potatoes!! :-)

                        

Thoughts for this week: 

I did not gain weight this week...so that is a victory! However, I did not lose any weight either. However, when I look in the mirror I can tell a difference in the shape of my body. I am taking a closer look at my diet and paying closer attention to portion control and eating lean meats (I have been eating a lot of pork). I am going to add an extra day of cardio for 6 days total. I have been meeting with a trainer once a week. This is really helping to keep me motivated. I love finding and trying new Paleo friendly recipes. I'm not getting discouraged yet. In fact, I'm the most motivated I've been in years. I've been getting up at 4:30am every day to go to the gym without much trouble. I find that relying on my faith and calling upon God for strength and motivation through prayer really helps to keep me on track. If I have learned nothing else in my weight struggle, I at least know that I cannot fight this battle alone. My mantra is "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength". 

Bethany--Week 2

Good evening friends!  Where did this week go?  A tad bit less of me sits here posting tonight.  Get it?  0.6 lbs less of me in fact!  Here is a recap of my week in the format I plan to use for my weekly posts:

Plan:  I'm following Weight Watchers 360.  I attend weekly meetings to weigh in and to be enlightened.  I walk away every single week feeling renewed and ready to face the next 7 days.

Scale:  I am 10.2 lbs. above my lowest weight since becoming a mom.  I'm sitting right at 149.4.  I'm trying not to let that number frustrate me, but it does.  I can't help but feel like I've failed having spent so much energy losing weight last year, keeping it off for months and then completely losing track of myself...  A number is just a number, but I also feel flabby and frumpy.  I can't wait to shed these 10 lbs and more, and to feel better!

Success:  Small goals and small successes are going to lead to reaching my big goals through big successes.  This week I succeeded in packing my lunch for a weekly mid-day Monday appointment which was a first.  Instead of indulging in Panera, I had fruit, a protein shake and some goldfish crackers!  I plan to start doing this every week.  I've realized after thinking it through that packing my lunch actually takes less time than taking kiddos into Panera, ordering and carrying it out to the car.  Plus I have more time to eat my lunch this way.  Win, win!

A second way in which I succeeded this week was that I had a social situation in which I actually stuck to my plan!  I had girlfriends over for a movie night and instead of losing track of my plan and eating more than I should, I made light popcorn and had a plate of fruit.  I think I could definitely have friends over again and stick to plan. 

Fail:  I failed this week in that I had too many sweets and not enough water.  I'm going to work on that going forward!

I also failed at exercising this week.  I need to renew our gym membership and get back in there!

Burning:  I burned 0 calories this week.  However, I am adding Weight Watchers' Active Link to my plan and I am planning to get back into the gym this week!  More about Active Link after I set it up and know what I'm doing :)

Getting There: The only "aha" moment I've had this week is that of figuring out that it takes more time to pick up lunch on Mondays than it does for me to pack.  As we get further into this journey I hope to use this section to dig a little deeper into myself and explore why I don't make myself the priority I should.

Baby Step:  My first baby step this week is that I am going to drink and record 8 glasses of water per day.  My second baby step is that I am going to set up Active Link, renew my gym membership and start making time to work out!

Big Picture:  From where I stand today I would like to lose and keep off 15 lbs.  I *think* I'm over trying to weigh what I weighed when I met my husband, Scott.  That was often my big focus in losing weight before and it was the wrong focus.  Even more than losing pounds, I would like to treat myself and my body with the love and respect it deserves daily.  I would like to make time for myself and my needs before other less important things!

Thank you for following along, for your support and love.  If you're reading this, I'd love to connect.  Let me know who you are and how you found us, and I will do my best to reply!  If you are on a journey of health and fitness yourself, let me know where you stand and how you got to where you are today.  I love to be inspired and enlightened by others' stories.

Here's to a great week ahead friends!

Allyson | Week Two

Milne, 1926, p.28

Edward Bear (or as you may know him by his nickname, Winnie-the-Pooh) is probably my favorite literary character of all time.  He is quite funny, charming, insightful, and philosophical.   A.A. Milne killed it with this character and all his pals from the Hundred Acre Wood. 

I recently purchased the box set of all the Pooh stories (including Return to the Hundred Acre Wood!) and began reading through them a few weeks ago.  Shortly into the first book we come across the loveable bear “In which [he] goes visiting and gets into a tight place,” (Milne, 1926, p.22). Pooh goes off on a walk and stumbles across his friend, Rabbit’s, house.  Now Rabbit, being a rabbit, lives in the trunk of a tree and the opening to his home is a hole in side of the trunk.  Somehow Pooh was able to squeeze himself inside Rabbit’s home.  While visiting, Pooh helps himself to an array of delicious treats.  He may have helped himself a little too much as he fell into a predicament upon leaving:

“‘The fact is,’ said Rabbit, ‘you’re stuck.’
‘It all comes,’ said Pooh crossly, ‘of not having front doors big enough.’
‘It all comes,’ said Rabbit sternly, ‘of eating too much.’” (Milne, 1926, p. 26)

Oh, Pooh.  He sure liked himself some honey.  Honey on bread, honey with milk, honey on a crumpet, or honey right out of the jar; he wasn’t picky.  No wonder he got himself stuck in Rabbit’s hole!  It certainly wasn’t because Rabbit’s door was too small; it was simply because Pooh had eaten too much!  How true do these words from Pooh Bear “spoken” in 1926 ring today?

Not that I have compiled extensive research on the subject, but I have common sense, and I would say that is simply a main problem with many of us struggling with weight.  “It all comes of eating too much,” (Milne, 1926).  I would also add that it also comes of moving too little.  Even though I am a carb-watcher, I understand the simple math behind calories in/calories out.  If you are consuming more calories/carbs than you are burning, it shouldn’t be a shock that you gain weight.  What would happen if you keep throwing bags into the garbage can but never take the can to the curb?  The garbage just keeps piling up and up and up and up and….you get it.  Our bodies are no different.  If we keep throwing garbage into our system but never ‘take it out’, it will just keep piling up and up and up and….

These past 10 days or so I have definitely been a culprit of consuming way more than I expended.  We went out of town last weekend, had a crazy whirlwind of a week, and celebrated Colin’s birthday this past weekend. Not going to lie, I haven’t even bothered to weigh myself since January 21.  I know I’m not going to like the number, and contrary to what an unwanted number might to do some, it just makes me depressed, discourages me, and I comfort myself with more food.  That makes no sense, I know, but it feels so good in the moment.  But, since I know that’s what would happen, I just avoid the scale.  I’m trying to get back on track here, so maybe next week I’ll revisit my “frenemy”, the scale.

Speaking of scales, I just hate mine.  It can give me three different readings within five minutes of each other.  It will even give me different readings based on how I hold/position my body.  It is never the same as the doctor’s or gym’s scale, and it’s rarely the same with itself! Not to mention it only goes in increments of .5.  I would love a reliable scale that goes in increments of .2. Suggestions?

Milne, 1926, p.27

On another note, I don’t often watch Saturday Night Live as they like to shove their liberal agenda down Americans' throats, but I did happen to catch a sketch a few weeks ago: A few Big Shot Americans were trash talking the iPhone5 on a talk show.  The show host was brutal and brought out three Chinese Workers so the Big Shots could complain directly to their faces.  Of course as soon as the three Workers were on stage the Big Shots shut their mouths.  At the end of the interview, the host and one of the Workers had this little exchange:

Host: “Would you like to complain about an American product?”
Worker: “hmm, let’s see… Does diabetes count as a product?!”

Listen people, it’s not rocket science: Eat Less, Move More.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Milne, A.A. (1926). Winnie-the-Pooh. New York: Dutton Children's Books.

Piper (Week 2)

Eating Plan: 1300 a day calorie count via My fitness pal app (as of yesterday)

Goal: 145 lbs

Weekly Weight Loss: gained 2 pounds

Total Weight Loss: none so far

Weekly Exercise: 2 days  of Insanity Video- so about 30 min. per day.

So..... obviously my great idea of just "watching" what I eat backfired on me ! So I decided to go back to counting calories and leave one meal a week where I can eat whatever I want to eat! As of today I weigh 166 lbs which is 2 lbs up from last week. I am pretty unhappy with this although I have no one to blame but ME. I am not a big chef so I really don't have any good recipes to put on here. I also cook for me and my family separately as we tend to eat different things. This can make it harder. I have to admit that my  muscles ache today from yesterday's insanity video. I am taking a yoga fusion class  tomorrow. If you have never taken one they are amazing. Few places/people teach yoga fusion so check your local yoga studios. You can burn up to 1200-1500 calories per class. I am also going to my therapist tomorrow to help me deal with my anxiety issues. As I have stated before I gained 20 something lbs being on Cymbalta and I am trying to avoid going back on that med. I did start taking Buspar which is supposed to not have as may side effects. Although I was VERY reluctant to do this the pics below are of me from yesterday. When I saw them I was shocked !! I couldn't believe what a skewed view I had of how I looked physically. I just tried to not look in the mirror and cover up with cloths. Well....not any more !! I will be posting pics periodically so I can see my progress. Hope everyone has a great week !! XOXO


  

 

Shena-Week 2, Recipes

Good afternoon ladies! Im sitting at work thinking that I wish I would have shaved my legs so that I can wear shorts to the gym! We are having a bit of a heat wave and I know the gym is going to be hot, humid and stuffy!!
Anyhoo...I hope everyone is having a great week so far! I went out to eat to O'Charleys last night and before I went I got on O'charleys website and got the nutritional info for the whole menu. I ordered the 6 oz grilled top sirloin for 300 calories, a side of asparagus for 80 calories and a side salad with oil and vingager dressing. It was a nice healthy dinner...until...I ate 3.5 rolls with butter. Whoopsie!! Bread and carbs are my weakness...I honestly could not stop myself!! Ok, lets be honest...I could have.
Well I know I promised some recipes so today I am going to share my favorite brown rice recipes!! Now, I know a lot of people do not like brown rice. I used to hate it!! But then I discovered yummy healthy ways to make it delicious! I have 3 go to rice dishes...all made with instant brown rice:

ASIAN STIR FRY

• Prepare rice according to package
• Meanwhile sautee some garlic, onions and celery (chopped in small peices) in some canola oil
• When veggies are done mix in the cooked rice
• Add a few drops of seasame oil (go light on this kids! Sesame oil is strong!)
• Mix it!

Add soy sauce if you like. I usually dont.
I love this stuff!! Goes great with some shrimp or chicken or pork!!!!

MEXICAN RICE

• Start with the above 3 bullet points
• Add a little olive or canola oil just to moisten the rice
• Add a few shakes of Cumin
• Mix it up!

I sometimes will add some jalepeno peppers or some cayenne pepper to give it some spice

EVERYDAY RICE

• Same as above, however just use a little olive oil and garlic salt to flavor the rice instead of the cumin or sesame oil!

I honestly eat this rice 2-3 times a week. In fact my lunch today was the mexican rice topped with my homemade black bean salsa!!! Also, the Mexican Rice would go good with Jenn's chicken fajitas...

Randee: Week 2

Eating Plan: Weight Watchers Points Plus

Goal: Lose 50 Pounds

Weekly Weight Loss: +0.4 pounds

Total Weight Loss: None L

Exercise Goals: 4 times a week for at least 30 minutes each time

Weekly Exercise: 5 workouts. 2 x 1 hr, 2x 45 minutes, 1 x 30 minutes

So this week didn’t have the outcome I was expecting. I worked extra hard this week only to gain 0.4 pounds. I know this is a small amount- just a few ounces really. But it was disappointing none the less. I actually had tears in my eyes at my weigh in. On the bright side, I actually got off the couch and got myself moving. I worked out 5 times this week. I tried a variety of different things. I have an exercise DVD from weight watchers that I tried. I also did a day of abs and a good amount of time on my elliptical machine. I have also been drinking a lot of water!

So what did I learn…. Well, I love sweets. I would love to eat them all day. I didn’t, but I wish I could. I did follow my points plus program, but it was hard. I really need to get past the craving for these sweets!!! Then I learned that I am horribly out of shape. When I thought about it, I have no idea why this would surprise me at all. I haven’t truly exercised in 2 years. So it’s no surprise that exercise has been a shock to my body. My former trainer would have kicked my butt if he saw how out of shape I have gotten.  I also remembered that I really don’t care for exercise. I know I need it, I know it’s good for me, I know lots of things. But I don’t like it. And to be honest, it isn’t pretty. I’m not all that coordinated as I do these workout DVD’s. And then I sweat and turn bright red. At least only my kids are seeing this. Needless to say, I won’t be posting any exercise pictures!!

So as my week goes on, I plan to keep doing what I’m doing. Tracking my points and exercising. I ordered some more DVD’s to add more variety and find one I enjoy!  So I plan to have a good weight loss number to report next week and more work out info as I get new my new DVD’s in!!

Maureen: Week 2

With my wedding less than a week away, it's been pretty easy to stay motivated at this point. My "progress pants" are slowly inching closer to the button, and I've dropped exactly 2 pounds since last Monday.  It hasn't all been easy though. 

I'm going to work on my picture taking skills - promise.

Biggest Challenge(s): 1.) Sticking to Paleo while going out to eat for a company lunch at an amazing Italian restaurant (the Obama's had eaten there the night before for Michelle's birthday!), with homemade pasta and amazing crusty bread. 2.) Making amazing smelling and looking cookies as a thank you to a co-worker and not having even one.  Not even a piece! This was made even more difficult as the whole office raved about them.

How I overcame: 1.) While everyone else was noshing on bread, I helped myself to some olives.  Not at all the same thing, but they helped keep my mouth busy and away from the bread.  I also looked at the menu  before going to the restaurant, right after dinner the night before, so I was still full.  I was able to make a sensible choice (grilled chicken and mixed greens) on a full stomach and went into the restaurant anticipating my selection.  This really made sticking to my guns a lot easier.
2.) I cooked myself the Paleo chocolate almond coconut cookies before baking the coworker's cookies.  That way when the whole house smelled of heavenly chocolate cookies, I could have my own, healthier version without feeling deprived.

I leave in two days to spend an amazing 10 days getting married and honeymooning in Mexico, but I'll be brining my pants with me to keep me in check at the all inclusive, and will have a post recipe post scheduled for you while I'm gone.  These next two weeks are going to be a huge challenge for me, but I'm going to try to relax and enjoy as much as possible without ruining all my hard work up to this point. See you in two weeks!

Leslie Week 2

Let me start by saying I lost 3 lbs this week.  I have a long way to go, but it is a great start. 

I have been drinking water and cut down my coffee from 1 cup a day- to only 2 cups all week.  I do enjoy drinking coffee and may still have 1 on my days off I have not decided yet.  I make it at home and control what is put in it. 

Exercise:

The first week I focused on food, not exercise so much.  I did go to a adult dance class on Mon. night that was great.  I have not dance like that in 11 years.  Let me tell you it kicked my butt, my feet even hurt.  Dance class is every Mon. night, I plan on going if I do not have to work.  Something I love to do and a great work out in 1 (a little mommy time alone).  I did a little exercise at home, but did not hit the gym yet.  My plan is 3 days this week Mon. Tue. and Thur.  I work at night each of those days and my gym is open after I am done.  That is the only time that I can go when I do not have the kids.  Every week will be different. 3 days for the first week is good.

Food:

Like I said the first week I focused on food.  I work at a restaurant and can eat for FREE.  I only ate from the guilt less menu, I really did not mind it.  I also brought snacks for home, so I would not eat any thing bad.  One of my new favorite snacks are almonds they make them in BBQ and other favors.  It is just like eating BBQ chips, (or so I tell myself that).  I also tried veggie sticks for the first time, not bad either.  Putting blueberries in the freezer is also one of my favorite snacks and the kids love it too.  Like I said before, I am going for a healthy life style not just a weight lose diet.  I sub out different thing that we would normally eat with better choices.  We had steak, red skin potatoes and green beans, drink water ( no butter on the beans, changed to red skin potatoes).  When I want a snack at home I get a piece of fruit. 

I will also be posting about the Biggest Loser I am doing at work, but nothing was posted yet from last week. 

Weight lose this week= 3 lbs
Weight lose so far= 3 lbs.
Ready for a great week of healthy eating, exercise and weight lose. :)

Honey Moon 2004
Goal

 

Valerie~Week 2

STRESS EATING IS THE ENEMY!!!  Holy cow, this week was terrible!  I guess I should start by explaining my outburst.  I am in the process of buying a house.  Not just any house, my first house...on my own...without much guidance.  Between the credit checks, the pre-approval, lawyer e-mails, inspections, appraisals, and contracts with more zeros after the commas than I have ever seen...it is such a stressful process!  I have tried just about everything not to eat everything in site.  I do all the "right work" just to ruin it with the "wrong work".

Now on to the confession...I gained 2.3 lbs the week.  Eeek!  Not to worry, I am determined to lose that 2.3 and then some.  I have come to the conclusion that the stress eating last week was not just due to the stress of the house, but as I am trying to save money for the odds and ends that come with purchasing a house, I have not done anything for myself.  For example, I am in desperate need of a hair cut but the place I normally go for a hair cut is $80 and that comes with all the bells and whistles.  Drinks, snacks, head massage, not to mention the amazing way my hair looks when my stylist is done.  However, to save money, I have put it off.  I have put off a lot of things that I normally enjoy just to save some money.  In turn, it's making me stir crazy and I've gained weight because of it!  Grr...

This week my goal is to do something for myself to try to get this stress anxiety toned down.  If I am craving something sweet, salty, or carb loaded I am going to go to the little fitness center in my apartment complex and walk on the treadmill  or elliptical for 10 minutes at a time.  That may not sound like much, but when you multiply that by the number of cravings that I have been having any given day, it would add up to about an hour a day.  I also want to try something that I learned at Weight Watchers this week.  Our leader suggested to not use the DVR.  At first I was like "WHAT??  Not use my DVR...you have got to be crazy!"  But then she explained that you can still record your shows, just don't fast forward through them.  When a commercial pops up, get up and do something.  It could be anything like sit-ups, planks, doing the laundry, doing the dishes, anything that gets you up and moving to add activity to your TV time.  Even though this is an easy way to get activity, I think it's the greatest thing since sliced bread!  I hope that my cravings subsidize by making these little additions to my day.  Wish me luck!

Ciao,
Valerie      

 

Christy: Week 2

Whew, so glad that first week is over.  Felt a little like the first week of college when I was nervous about making a good impression, always having my ID with me to access stuff on campus, and prove to myself I can handle this "new lifestyle."   I was nervous about fulfilling my goals, needing to stay on par with my calorie counting, and embrace working out in some shape or form despite having a sinus infection.

I started last week off with a dry throat that quickly turned into a sore throat and a diagnosis on Wednesday of a sinus infection. Despite having breathing issues and dealing with the coldest weather we've had this winter, I managed to meet my goals on going to the gym and I actually ended up learning a lot about myself and what I'm capable of over coming.
Because I didn't feel well, I decided that I would have one day of ONLY lifting weights and lay off the cardio.  This gave me time to actually focus on some muscle groups I've neglected in my "normal" routine of 30 minutes cardio and 30 minutes strength training (squats, sit ups, and occasional hand weights). And I sure needed to work those muscles as evidence of being sore in the days that followed.  I am going to include now, one workout/week dedicated only to weightlifting.

The other thing I learned (and got me thinking in general) occurred during my cardio routine.  I usually run (really its more like a jog) for 2 miles at 5.2 with a 1.0 incline.  Again because I was sick I wanted to "go easy" on myself so I kept the same pace but ratcheted the incline down to .5.  I could not believe the difference this made with the level of "comfort" in running. I ended up running an extra half mile AND burned more calories than I normally do!  In addition, while the first 15 minutes were harder than usual (due to dry scratchy throat & runny nose), after that time it was like my sinuses cleared up and I actually felt good! It was completely opposite of what I was expecting to happen...and it happened all 4 times I did cardio this week!  I am SO glad I didn't let this current bout of illness slow me down and it has given me more confidence of what I can push myself to do once I'm feeling 100%.

On another note, I would be remorse if I didn't say that the single one behavioral change that I engaged in this week that I believe played a significant part in me being able to handle working out & being sick is the fact that I went to bed EVERY night this week (except Saturday) at 9pm. Yup you read it right! 9pm. The first night I went to bed that early, I woke up at 4:30am. My body was like "you had 7 + hours of sleep, you're good!"...but after that my body accepted what was happening. It needed the rest!  Do not underestimate the power of sleep!

This first week I worked out 5 days for an hour each burning on average 400 calories.  I want to do the same in week 2.  Last week I incorporated a new exercise where I would be in a 90 degree squat position and jump up, landing back into squat position. I did 3 reps of 8 of these...and oh boy, they are tough to get through! I'll be doing more of those but also plan to incorporate lunges. By the way, most of my exercises focus ONLY on my problem areas (i.e. stomach, thighs, & butt).

I am going to maintain the goal of not drinking my calories.  This week I had a glass of wine & a beer. Those were my only drinkable calories (other than my Special K protein drink). My diet in general is about portion control, not eating sweets, and not eating after dinner. I want to maintain that for now.

The one regret I had this week felt a little out of my control. My kids spontaneously decided that Wednesday was "kids day" and they wanted to bake a cake. I just couldn't resist giving into them and so we baked.and.frosted.a.cake (I'll spare you the delicious details). I had three pieces & finally gave a chunk of it to some friends because I just couldn't have it in the house anymore!  My birthday is next month and the same scenario will occur unless I tell them otherwise. Ugh, so hard to stop myself since good cake only comes around a few times a year!

But despite it being an unusual week...I am happy to report that I lost 2 lbs! I now weigh 158.  I would like this week to be similar to last week before I do any major tweaking. It is working for me in this moment. Losing weight feels very purposeful and fulfilling in a whole new way. 

Jenn Week 2

Good Sunday to you!  Well here we are at the end of week one and getting ready to start a fresh new week.   Here is how my 1^st week shaped up.

In one word how do I feel about this week’s progress:  Inspired

High of the week: Finding great inspiration in the stories of the other women featured on this blog.  Reading many of their introductions from week 1 got me moving.

Low of the week:  Eating those darn brownies.   (Notice it does indicate multiples haha)

Weight loss this week: 1.3 lb

Total weight loss since: 1/20/13: 1.3lb

Inches lost this month: N/A

Total inches lost since: 1/20/13 N/A

New exercises tried: I didn't try any new specific exercise this week.  Everything was my tried and true that  could be done at home.  I got 2 sessions of Insanity in and did 2 cross fit type workouts.  I did however join our local YMCA yesterday.  Look for a review of that next week.  Very excited about this, lots of new things to try there.

Things that fueled me:  Here is an easy chicken fajita recipe that I tried this week.  I had it passed down from a friend of mine so I can’t take credit but know it will be something many of you will enjoy.  The tricky part with fajitas is they are overall healthy and full of veggies and protein.  Then, we load them up with sour cream, cheese and many other yummy toppings that turn them in to a fattening indulgence.    So load them up at your own risk.  Things I found to be good are using Greek yogurt in place of sour cream, adding salsa and a light sprinkling of cheese. 

Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas
1 onion, sliced
3 bell pepper, sliced
1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts or thighs
1/2 cup broth (chicken or vegetable)

1 packet of taco seasoning OR
1 lime , juiced
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed (optional)
Tortillas
Your choice of toppings

Combine peppers and onion slices and place in the bottom of a crockpot.  Lay chicken on top.  Pour broth over.  Sprinkle with seasonings.  Squirt with lime juice.  Cook on low for6 - 8 hours (You want the chicken cooked but not dried out.  Remove meat from crockpot and shred.  Add beans (if desired) to crockpot to heat through.  

Jamie Week1

Because I am so new to blogging I think that keeping each week with a subject in mind will help me from rambling on and on about gaining, losing etc. Because I will.

First I will say that I am 29 years old, I have a Bachelor degree in management and currently am working as a merchandise manager for Aeropostale. I will be tying the knot in October to Blake. If I could pinpoint one thing I love especially about him it is that he has loved me unconditionally at size 16 and size 6. See I am rambling here. So my subject this week is realizing that yes I was overweight.

Always being very active in high school I never had a weight issue. Very skinny size 3 no matter how much taco bell or McDonald's I ate. But as soon as high school ended, cheerleading,softball and my 5 days a week of dance ended too. Guess what else ended? My size 3. It actually went from a 3 to a 12/14 over the summer. Really in 3 months. But I was still in this bubble where I thought I was still a 3. No I didn't buy size 3 or small shirts but I can guarantee I bought clothes that didn't fit right and didn't look good. This went on from 18 to 21. I broke up with my boyfriend of almost 5 years and started working out a lot. I lost about 40 pounds in 3 months, see the 3 month correlation here? But then life hit, college was stressing me out I worked a full time and part time job, which I still wonder why. I lived at home, I didn't have to. I think the bar tending job just fell in lap and I enjoyed it so much I couldn't stop. I ended up bar tending for 5 years actually. But anyways I had to get on anti depression meds to keep my head on straight because I suddenly became an angry whiny mess. And 3 months later I was back up 40 pounds.

But all this time I never saw a fat girl. How could I not? I was a little over 5 feet and tipping 200 pounds. I had an eye opener about 3 years ago when Blake bought me the Wii fit, and it called me OBESE. OBESE. WHAT? I said well obese isn't really obese nowadays. Excuses. But I did start dieting and lost a little. I think that my journey in general will be next weeks subject so for now here are some stats with a few things I will be sharing each week.

Current Weight 135

Weekly Change

Wins for the week: I have 2, 1. Went out to eat with inlays to Blue Canyon. I ordered lobster linguine but only ordered a half and subbed the other half with a side salad. 2. Because we were going out to eat, I knew I wouldn't bee able to hit gym after work so I got up an extra 45 mins early and did a DVD.

Opps for the week: Had a house guest and we don't share the same diet/workout passion. I wanted her to feel welcome so I skipped the gym for 2 days, ate pizza and cheesecake.

My motivators this week: Hitting a size 5!!

Weekly Goal: want to run 5.5 miles on Friday.

Long term goal: Cleveland 10k in May

Here are a few pics so you can see before and after.

Have a great rest of the week everyone. Dont beat yourself up if that pizza accidentally slips in to your mouth, just dont eat the whole pizza, the old me would have, but thats another subject:)

Cayla - Week 1

Week 1 - Everyone Has to Start Somewhere!

Weight Loss This Week:  Since January 7th I have lost 14 pounds 

Total Weight Loss So Far: 14 pounds

Eating Plan:I am currently following the Paleo plan which has been eye opening for me. I plan to dive deeper into this as the weeks unfold as well as share tips and Paleo friendly recipes. 

Exercise Plan:  I joined a gym this week and signed up for 52 sessions with a personal trainer. I am forcing myself to get up and go to the gym at 5am Monday - Friday. This week I have worked out every day so far and plan to finish strong.

New Weight Loss or Diet Knowledge to Share:  When joining a new gym if you plan to shower there and get ready for work...make sure you know if the provide towels, or be sure to take your own. I learned the hard way Monday when I was left to dry off with paper towels! :-)

 Recipe's to Share: Cauliflower Poppers (These taste almost as good as french fries and are super easy to make) My husband even liked these!

        What you will need:

• 2 heads of cauliflower
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Wash and clean the cauliflower. Cut off and discard the stem. Cut the cauliflower up into small pieces.
3. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, salt and pepper. Add the cauliflower pieces and thoroughly coat each piece.
4. Place cauliflower pieces onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for one hour and turn 3 times during cooking until each piece has a nice brown coloring. The browner they are the better.
5. Remove from oven and enjoy!

Goals This Week: Work out 5 days a week and lose 3 pounds.

Little Victories: I had a serious addiction to Starbucks Chai Tea Latte. I went every single day with out fail for months. I have gone 18 days without my Chai Tea Latte as well as all Soda. Not to mention how much money I have saved!

Overall Goals:   I have found that it is good to have an overall goal and then break it up into smaller goals. My immediate goal is 50 pounds....I have 36 more to go.Total Goal 125 pounds...111 to go (I'm looking forward to this number getting much smaller!).

My History: My Name is Cayla Conley. I am a first time blogger. Thank you for joining me on this journey. I live in beautiful, sunny Tampa Florida. We moved from Ohio a little over a year ago because I had a new job opportunity. I am an Ohio girl at heart but had to get out of the cold. :-) I  have a loving husband who I have been married to for a little over 6 years. We do not have any children yet...but we do have a fur baby Gizmo, my 5lb ferocious Yorkie. I work as a Director of Sales for a major hotel chain. I have a bachelors degree in event planning and I have a Masters Degree in Business.

I have been very successful in my career and goals that I set for myself. One thing that I have never been able to get is control of my weight. My weight loss journey has been a long one. As a kid I was "chubby". I wasn't extremely over weight, I was just a little heavier than the rest of my friends. Looking back now...I wish I was the weight that I was in high school. My parents tried to help. They supported every weight loss fad, or kick that I was on for the moment. They tried to motivate me by offering me shopping spree's and various other things to get me to lose the weight. But to no avail.

When in college I met an amazing guy who would later be my husband. We fell in love and got fat and happy together. I remember my senior year of college stepping out of the shower and getting on the scale and it read over 200lbs. I was in shock. Unfortunately it didn't stop there. I continued to let it spiral out of control.

 I've tried programs such as "The Great American Slim Down", Visalus, Advo Care, diet pills, and i'm sure many other things that I cannot recall. At one point I asked my doctor for help with something to control my appetite. She quickly gave me information and suggested gastric bypass surgery. Not only did this make me furious, but she then became my former doctor. Like anyone else my battle with weight has effected me mentally. Anyone that has fought this battle has spent hours crying constantly, becoming anti social at times and depression. I always hoped and prayed that one day a doctor would figure out that my weight issue was strictly medical such as a thyroid problem that could be fixed with a pill. My weight struggle has taken me to some very dark places. I am hoping to put all of this behind me.

Two years ago, I reached the highest weight that I have ever been. I knew then that I needed to do something. I got on a program called Medifast and it was a very quick and effective fix. I lost 50 pounds in three months. I kept most of it off until the recent holidays and several pounds quickly came back on.

In December I celebrated my 30th birthday...which was hanging over my head. So I set goals for myself. One of which was to complete my first 5K before I turned 30. Not only did I complete my first 5K on November 10th 2012, I also completed my second 5K on Thanksgiving Day. My goal for 2013 is to be able to run the entire 5K and complete it in 30 minutes or less.

Throughout this journey I plan to be honest and real about the highs and lows about my weight loss struggle.

I hope that you will join me!

New Years Eve 12/31/1NNew

New Years Eve 12/31/2012