Brandy's Changing!

OOPS!

2011-09-02T11:25:00.002-06:00

So I totally spaced this month. Forgot/ didn't pay attention to the fact that yesterday was weigh-in. Oh well just wanted to say good job to those who have worked on themselves and actually remembered the weigh-in. My mind is not doing well adjusting to the "no schedule of summer" to all of the schedules that school throws my way with the kiddos. Maybe next time I'll pay attention?

T minus 6....

2011-08-25T09:28:00.000-06:00

Busy , busy , busy. the last weeks of August have be come inundated with business of getting ready for school. 3 of my 4 start school on the 6th of September so we've been prepping for that and all the while trying to cram in a few last fun summer things. This Friday we will take lunch up to Picnic Rock and play in the river. Hopefully we will make a few more tips to the City Park Pool. unfortunately I think our family camping trips are done for the year due to school, sports, and then weather will kick in too.

Not much

2011-08-19T16:33:00.000-06:00

Well I don't have much to report on the diet side of things... or anything else for that matter. The local kids will be going back to school next week but my kids don't go back until the 6th of Sept , so we are doing all the last summer things we can, like going to the lake, pool, etc. I am counting down the days until Christmas because the kids and I get to go home for our 1st Christmas in 3 yrs but unfortunately my hubby doesn't get to go with us. I love life except for 2 things, 1. living 2000 miles from all my family and friends, and 2. me. But the one thing I can change is the hardest to actually commit to. It'll happen one day, something will click within me and boom! One day...

middle of August already!!

2011-08-11T09:10:00.000-06:00

Well it's the middle of August already and I have yet to fully commit to this competition. Maybe it's lack of money, lack of time without kiddos, lack of energy, lack of ....... well I know it's not because of the lack of excuses. We are getting ready for another camping trip and as I pack I am always reminded of my lack of wardrobe due to my not wanting to shop for me because let's face it shopping for a "fat girl" is not fun. Nothing "looks right" or "feels right" and then there's the whole thought of "when I lose the weight I'll splurge on clothes because then I'll disserve it." Oh well such is life and this is the hand I was dealt. Maybe when the kids are in school again and I start spending time out of the house doing things at the school or at the MOPs meetings then I will busy enough to not snack on junk and that will help???? We will see........

2 days at the pool

2011-08-08T16:41:00.000-06:00

Yes, I have made it two days in a row to the pool... of course the 1st day was for a birthday party but it still counts. Then we went back today and spent.... 4 hrs or so. But I didn't get to swim really due to that nagging responsibility of watching the kids to make sure they are safe, LOL. It was fun none the less.

Swimming

2011-08-05T12:07:00.000-06:00

Took the kids to the pool yesterday and spent 3hrs in the water. Granted I wasn't swimming, swimming I was kid swimming but that counts for something. I like the convience of the indoor pools but I totally hate the fog it puts my head in during the "after chlorine" phase of things. Summer is almost gone so I better enjoy the kids at home while I can.

Yippeee.

2011-07-31T15:50:00.001-06:00

I am going to buy a new swim suit, well... swim trunks and top. and hopefully that will entice me to go in to swim early in the mornings. I think swimming will be fun and tiring.

end of the month

2011-07-31T12:13:00.001-06:00

Hard to believe it's already August.... the summer has flown by. I have tried really hard not to cave in to the sugary sweets lately. However the quick bites that summer schedules brings need and could be done in a healthier way.

Yikes,

2011-07-26T17:24:00.000-06:00

Logged in to realize that I haven't met my blogging requirements for the month yet. SO this is #2 of my 4 entries..... time just crept up on me. I am not holding my own with the water intake and I am going to buckle down on that.... no more coffee first thing in the a/m until I've had atleast 40 oz of H2O. and then I want to drink another 20 inbetween meals if not more and 20 or more with meals and 20 after evening meal........ I should be floating. Good thing I don't have any plans to be out of the house for the next week while my body adjusts to all the fluids LOL. I guess I'll be blogging a few more times this week..... to meet the requirement.

Life goes on....

2011-07-12T07:11:00.000-06:00

Well, baseball is over for one son and Basketball ends this week for the other so we'll have a little "sports break", then football will begin. My 7 yr old will be playing tackle football this year I am a bit scared and a bit excited. Anyways, I am just plugging along at this comp my hubby "forced" me out of bed this a.m. to workout. Gotta love him, he tried to get me to run, I SUCK at running couldn't even make it down half of the street. Then we went back to the yard to work and tried jumping jacks..... let's just say my bra may as well have not even been on , LOL. I seriously got to find a sports bra that fits right without breaking the bank.

My train.

2011-06-27T16:35:00.000-06:00

This is my train. The only things missing are my 3 and 4 yr olds and the cooler with water bottles and snacks. Thought it'd be fun to post a pic of it. I took my 4 kiddos and a friend of my oldest and rode to the Main library today for a show in the park. While we only rode 6 miles, my nervousness due to riding with traffic and kids and my legs felt it. The extra 100 lbs behind you on the bike sure make you happy to ride by yourself. Which I hardly ever get to do.

Hoping to go camping...

2011-06-27T10:27:00.001-06:00

So not much to report, I haven't even stepped on the scale since the beginning of the comp so I don't know where I am in that aspect. We are hopefully going camping this coming weekend for the first time this year. We bought a pop up camper with great intentions then my hubby's work took over and his boss is letting him have this weekend off, we think. Anyways atleast he has a job. We've been jobless before for like 2 yrs straight so we aren't complaining.... too much. Not too long till first weigh in. good luck.
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The Challenge...

2011-06-20T09:45:00.000-06:00

I'm contemplating and mulling over the Challenge Kari proposed for each of us. I don't want to do it because it focuses on ME. But I suppose a challenge isn't always something you WANT to do but NEED to do. The reasons are easy kids, hubby, health, to feel better about self.... typical laundry list. But when it comes to the excuses I just have one ME. As hard as it is to admit "out loud" or to actual people other than me my main excuse is I just don't like me. SO I am trying to get over the mental blocks of the unworthiness and undisservingness that keeps coming up in my mind. Another excuse is laziness. I'm just lazy which ties in to my isolation of being a mom of 4 and no "real friendships" outside of that.

I know these excuses are just that. I know all the "proper" textbook answers as to why I NEED to get healthier and lose weight. I know my kids disserve to have mom that they will be proud of instead of embarrassed by her looks. I know My Hubby totally disserves me to be a better me. And yes even deep down I know I NEED me to be a better me.

So I am going to try to focus on my kids and hubby and who I need to be for them. I can always do for them what I cannot or will not do for myself.

Just so you know I am not the person to pour out my inner thought of me so easily so I am fighting with myself to actually post this. If I didn't personally know a few of you in the comp it'd be easier.

First chance to go to the mountains today

2011-06-12T21:40:00.000-06:00

It's such a shame that we live in the foothills of the wonderful Rocky Mountains yet we don't get to "enjoy" them often. We finally go to go up and do some "off-roading" in the suburban, yes that tank took us up some steep hills and back down. Due to some changes in my hubby's work in the past 3 months or so he has not gotten to be off duty every other weekend like he is supposed to , so we've had to stick arround town instead. We left at 9a.m. and got back a little after 9 pm. It was a good time. I am slowly convincing myself to get back in the game of "Healthy" Not sure why I can't just jump into it again. I seem to not have the "motivation" but you'd think my kids and hubby would work for that, not to mention myself and my shrinking wardrobe. I thought the motivation of the comp would give me a kick in the pants to get moving I guess only time will tell.

Finally....

2011-06-06T09:41:00.000-06:00

This morning I took advantage of VBS it's a great invention in my mind you get to take your kiddos and drop them off for a few hours and you get time ALONE!!! Anyways I was finally able to get in a decent little beginning bike ride. I strapped on the bike carrier and took the kiddos in the van, left them then rode back to the house and after a little while at the house doing the evil laundry rode back to get them and the van. While in total it is only a 5 mile track it is more than nothing. And a good beginning. I do like to ride the bike and usually I am driving a train on it with my bike then a tag-a-long bike and a trailer on that. I don't get to just ride by myself it was nice. But the extra weight of the kids help with strenghtening the legs. I plan on doing this every morning this week except Tuesday because I am helping out with the VBS that day. Have a great week!

All is ....Better

2011-06-03T07:49:00.000-06:00

Ok sorry for using this as a complaint board in the previous one but I finally found the camera and the rest of the week has been better. I am starting slowly with the comp by focusing on food and WATER. I have seriously gotten out of the habit of drinking water so much. I am hoping that getting back into the habit of simply drinking water will help me feel a bit better so I can get my motivation back. Good luck to all you gals in the comp.

uuuggghhhh

2011-06-01T14:03:00.002-06:00

Ok so it's one of those days that everything seems to be going wrong and if it's not going wrong it's lost! I officially paid my dues to the comp and now I need to get my pics in.... and of course my CAMERA is MIA. I mean seriously, those that know me know I have 4 kids and I am always taking pics and posting them on FB for no reason at all. But now I NEED it and cant find it. So I took break to go grocery shopping at the new store across the street thinking it'd help me relax so I can find the camera. Well wrong, 2 hrs of attempting to get through the chaos and 30 min of checking out with the coupons not wanting to scan I finally got home and it seems that everything is getting on my nerves now. Oh and still can't find the camera so I am charging my son's crappy camera hoping I can get a halfway decent pic to send in. Okay I'll quit venting, I was just hoping getting all of this out of my head would help me calm down before I start crying or something...........

Long time no post.....

2011-01-06T15:46:00.003-07:00

Honestly I hadn't really thought I'd ever post on her again. No real reason just what I thought. But today on the way to pick up my boys from school my 4 year old says to me " Mommy I want to be small like you!". Well this makes me want to continue on the losing streak. I am going to get back on the "diet" train. I was able to play soccer last night for the first time in 6 weeks. It felt great to get out there again didn't realize how I missed it. I haven't been doing much of anything physically but plenty on the eating aspect of things. So I am up a good bit from the end of my last competition weight. I have let laziness and self-pity get to me and there are no excuses. While I am down 4 sizes from last January I feel like a bloated cow! I serously have a spare tire around the mid section that I'd rather not have and I know that I can either sit here and watch it blow up larger or do something. While I don't have the motivation of $$ or a competition anymore I do have my daughter's goal in life to be "small" like me. You see she is comparing me to my husband who is 6'5"ish and I am only 5'7". But I want her to be in her teens and still thinking I am small. Ok guess it's time to get a better game plan.

Down to the end

2010-10-22T11:36:00.001-06:00

Well I am happy to be down from a 3 xl shirt to a 1x and from a 46 pants to a 40. So even if I haven't won all the money ,LOL, I'm good.

only a few more days

2010-10-22T11:34:00.002-06:00

Well there are only a few more days left in the comp. I haven't done anything this time around. Guess I lost my steam. I am happy to have maintained for the last 5 months after loosing so much in the 1st half of the year. I am planning on maintaining through the next few months then I am going to kick my but in gear in 2011 to loose more!!! Good luck to all!

Brrrrr

2010-10-19T07:39:00.002-06:00

Woke up this morning early to give someone a ride to work and I saw my breath! First time this fall so I guess it's official...... it's the cold season now.... life is crazy juggling the kids schedules and mine and the hubby's. have one more game of softball left I almost hit the fence last week some say it was so close to going over, love that feeling. Soccer last week was fun 4 more games this season.... not sure what to do when the athletics in my life are over for a few months we'll see.

Well ...

2010-10-10T17:47:00.002-06:00

Well it's almost mid-way through the month ALL-READY! We have one more softball game left for the season, the one tonight got rained out. I will start an indoor soccer league on Wednesday for about a month and a half. It's been a while since I've played but it should be fun. I don't know anyone on the team I found a add on Craigslist, It's odd I know but when you don't get out much the internet helps. Well here's to the next two weeks, it's crunch time!

Last month!!

2010-10-04T21:22:00.002-06:00

Ok so I kinda hit a rut with this whole competition this time around. The last one I lost a lot and did well . this one I'm just here. But this past Sunday we did a 5.7 bike ride as a family. It did take us 2 hrs but that included a stop at a playground and another break on the CSU campus. But our 6 and 11 year old rode their bikes and our 3 yr old rode the trail-a-bike then the 2 year old hitched a ride in the trailer. it was a good time. once we rode to the park Scott and I played a softball game and then Scott took the kids home in the truck (with all their bikes) and I rode back home alone. That time it only took 30 min, of course Scott and the kids kept chasing me down along the way to yell at me and tease me LOL. AHHHHH goood times. Now our 2 year old is sick and sleep is a limited option but I suppose if I were to get off the computer at 9:30 pm I could sleep while the kiddos are down until the little one crys out anyway. Good luck with the comp to all of you and I'm hoping to at least loose a little this month.

Apologies.....

2010-09-24T16:49:00.003-06:00

I feel I need to apologize to all you wonderful peeps in this competition. I have not been able to get my head/ body in the game this go around. I have been maintaining and not losing. But I haven't been doing the work to lose either. So I shouldn't be surprised. But I saw a BMI to height chart today And saw that I am not in the MORBIDLY OBESE range anymore, I'm just OVERWEIGHT now, so things are looking up.... while I'm not losing, I'm not gaining either. And I am deciding to claim that victory!!! WHOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOO, YEAH.

Finally got rid of security ....

2010-09-17T07:29:00.002-06:00

Ok so we were running out of clothes hangers constantly and I finally took a step that needed to be done a looooong time ago. I went through my closet and got out a big bucket of oversized clothes! I havent worn the things in a while and so I got rid of anything that was not with in one size of my actual fit........ So now we have hangers. But now I have little to no clothes so if you see me around wearing the same thing all the time don't worry.... I have a washing machine and I know how to use it.

yadda yadda

2010-09-10T09:51:00.002-06:00

so just when i think i am getting the schedule for school drop offs and pick ups down.... my oldest gets a call that he was accepted into a local Charter School. Don't get me wrong I soo wanted this but now it's learning a new schedule and getting new school uniforms and all. I know one day I will be able to do it in my sleep but it seems like i cant get anything done so the house is trashed, Mt Laundry keeps winning the fight and I am just above the water, LOL. Ok so not that bad.

But my 6th grader is LOVING his new school and that is so awesome. He basically gave the family a whole weeks worth of history last night at dinner. Mind you this is his 4th day in that school. He has not enjoyed school so much in forever So it's worth it. Now if only my other 2 school aged children would be pulled from the lottery for the same school..... That would be sooooooo cool and easy! Have a blessed week!

camping

2010-09-02T23:40:00.003-06:00

We are lucky enough to have some friends who are lending us their pop-up camper for our last camping trip of the year. My hubby wanted to go camping but he/we have sold all our tents. The plan was to buy a new bigger one but we never did. I am excited to cook spaghetti squash casserole over coals. Don't ask me why but this is what I decided to do . I think just to say I did it. Well gots to get to bed it's like mid night and we head out in 5 hrs. have a great labor day weekend! We will!

What to do with wasting away strawberries????!!!!

2010-09-02T12:20:00.003-06:00

Yes I had two containers of strawberries that were going to go bad because no one was eating them. The old me would say throw some sugar on them bad boys and make up a shortcake that would melt in my mouth..... I know smoothies would be nice but I have a lack of the blender for that.. So I cut them up and put a tablespoon or two of honey on them then added a quarter cup or so of unsweetened apple juice. This made them better than the sugary strawberry topping and now I'm going to mix them up with yogurt for the kids for snack and yogurt for me too. I may even let Scott have some. I do need to win some money for the month of September so I can get me a blender smoothies sound good too........

heart, mind, soul, strength......

2010-09-01T20:44:00.002-06:00

Yea so while I did not gain weight I did not loose more than a few pounds but I so know I could have done better. I would love to have January roll around and be able to say I lost 100 lbs in a year........ But honestly lately my heart, mind, soul, strength,and body have not been into it. I've seemed to have misplaced my "ambition". I look at the pictures of where I was and where I am and I like it. I know I'd love to be even further from the beginning picutures come January...... Oh yea and ontop of my lack of motivation I was at the park the other day and a kid in the 2nd grade for no apparent reason chose to point out his mom in the purple shirt with "skinny legs well not too skinny but not fat like yours." I believe that's what he said. I mean really I know kids say what pops in their mind but we weren't having a discussion about his mom or my legs ....... ok that's it good night.

Wow, another month

2010-08-27T09:48:00.003-06:00

Can't hardly believe another month is coming to an end.... I have had a hard time finding things to blog about and I've been seriously slack on reading and commenting on all of your posts. SORRY! with summer coming to an end and kids getting back in school and my having a new schedule to get used to...... Well you know what I mean. I am proud of the way my hubby has committed to his dieting and working out. He is doing way better than I am. I'm in a serious funk, I mean a rut.... I am just not doing as well this time around as I did last time but that's to be expected. If I would seriously get off my but and work out more I know I'd do better.......... Well here's wishing you all good luck in the weigh in and I may kick my butt into gear for the month of Sept.

School's in

2010-08-18T07:48:00.003-06:00

So the boys are back in school this week my oldest started middle school Monday my 6yr old is in 2nd grade and my 3 yr old will start on the 30th. My 2 yr old will be having mommy time for 2.5 hrs a day during which we will do most of our grocery shopping and errands... that's exciting to be able to do errands and shopping with only one. Scott is doing way better than I am at excercising but I hope to do Zumba tonight and maybe Sunday. WE start back to playing softball this weekend last season we were in the lowest level league the city has to offer because it was our first season as a team and most of us hadn't played in forever. Well after an undefeated season they asked us to move up . We thought we'd just be moved up one level....... Nope they made us go to the top. We are in the highest level the Rec department has to offer. Guess we'll see pretty quickly how good or BAD we really are, LOL!

.......

2010-08-08T20:40:00.002-06:00

Oh goodness life is good, diet is good, excercise is not so good. I found a free boot camp in a local park but I'm not doing it so that Scott can. I figure it'll help him get a new leash on excercise. I need to do something too. So I am going to try biking more during the day which will be easier after next week because my kids will go back to school. and The weather will still be decent.

Oh Kari you will get a kick out of this one . Scott while watching TV tonight saw a guy eating a sandwhich to which he says, " you know it's sad I see him eating that and all I can think is how much carbs it is!"

That is sooo funny.

Saturdays

2010-07-31T17:06:00.002-06:00

Well we were up at 5:30 to go yard sale shopping. We bought some things got good deals. But the most welcomed purchase I got was a 30" excercise ball and a 4 pound medicine ball. Hopefully my motivation kicks in with that purchase.

I am trying to make Zucchini boats on the grill tonight for dinner. Will let you know how that goes, never had them before and I'm not a fan of zucchini unless it's in bread!

Kick boxing.

2010-07-30T09:25:00.002-06:00

So I went to Kick boxing with Michelle and her friend whose name starts with a P and I think I can say it but I am not even attemping to spell it!! LOL. Anyways it was fun and a real workout. My arms took a beating and my left one is especially sore due to how weak it really is. I may be able to talk Scott into trying it out a time or two also. Thanks Michelle for the info.

camp fire Grapes?!?!

2010-07-25T19:20:00.003-06:00

So we went RUSTIC camping this weekend. I did take along the typical hotdogs and smores things for the kiddos ( and yes I sneaked a roasted mellow or two).
But my hubby and I were roasting Brats and pineapple on the skewers the first night and then my Brilliant 10 year old son says "Hey mom I wonder how grapes would taste over the fire?" WOW That was a great idea. Never dawned on me to grill/fire cook grapes they are yummy so the majority of our meals we cooked and ate the other things I had taken but always added the campfire pineapple and grapes. We even tried bananas they were pretty good too. I seriously need to get a fire pit in my yard so I can practice campfire cooking more often. Oh yeah I made a new concoction for the kiddos one night with tortillas, chocolate, mini-mellows, and chopped bananas. They were gobbled up. I did try it and it was yummy in that "gross kind of sugary, creamy way" (that's for Kari). The key to not eating more myself was that I only bought one of those packs hershey's chocolate bars that had 8 of the tiny bars in it. That way the chocolate ran out fast.

A surprising Family Favorite

2010-07-20T18:51:00.003-06:00

So today I had been thinking of what to do for dinner all day. Couldn't phathom what to do . So finally around 4:30 or so this afternoon I went to the freezer and pulled out the thing that looked easiest to defrost and that happened to be single packaged porkchops, so I sat them out with no clue what next. half hour later remembered the spaghetti squash on the counter. So I cut up the chops, cut up and cooked the Spaghetti squash in the microwave and then threw it all in a caserole dish with some green beans, diced tomatoes and cheese. My hubby liked it alot and the 4 kiddos were very quite during dinner. They all even wanted 2nds and some 3rds, which was ok because it was almost all vegetables. I think this maybe a weekly guest at our dinner table!

Fat lip....

2010-07-19T09:49:00.002-06:00

So yesterday I did great with physical activity. I left home at 2 on my bike rode over to the local community center hoping to play some volleyball but no one was playing so I played basketball and hit the volleyball by myself. I walked the indoor track then got a wild hair to try running it......... sad to say I made a 10th of a mile in a minute and almost died doing it. Then did a ZUMBA class and rode my bike to the softball field for a game and rode the bike home after that.

This morning I convinced Scott to get up early and ride bikes to the community center to workout since his dad was here to watch the kiddos. So we did it and worked out for like 40 minutes and attempted to play some basketball. But on the way home I totally bit it. I mean full on nose dive on the sidewalk. Scraped forehead, scraped nose (in multiple places) busted lips, scraped knee and hurt pride. It's all good got up wiped off all the blood made sure my teeth were still intact and rode the bike 2 miles home. Now my lip is FAT I think I may know how it feels to have a big wad of chewing tobacco in my mouth. Not comfortable at all. Oh well such is life.

Now I am going to take the kids bowling with some friends and we'll go from there.

Interesting yet yummy Lunch CONCOCTION

2010-07-13T12:32:00.002-06:00

Today I had a thought.... dangerous I know...... I was wondering what I was going to make my hubby and I for lunch. And then this crazy idea came to me. I decided to saute some diced chicken breast with some spinach.... then add in some diced apples and avacado.... then add in cut up strawberries and feta cheese... then I added a little mozzerella to seal the deal. We put this tasty concoction in a whole wheat wrap and YUMMMMMMMMMMMM. My hubby ate two but that's ok his total carb count was around 30 or so but some of that was due to the veggies and fruit involved. Since veggies and fruit are ok on our diet I don't really count those so I believe his carb count was (on my scale) 25. and mine may have been like 13 .

Who would have ever thunk it? Strawberries and apples in that mix??? It surprised me and I didn't mention it to Scott until he had ate one of his wrap, He liked it anyways.

Why does it take sooo long.....

2010-07-11T17:10:00.002-06:00

Well I took off the month of June because "I wasn't in a competition anymore". In doing this I gained back some weight and lost my workout ethic. It's taking me a while to get back in the groove. While I have been riding my bike a bit more than I used to I have not been working out. But today I did get to go to ZUMBA and if the Lord is willing and He holds back the rain I will get to play my softball game tonight. I plan on going to Zumba again Wednesday night and going to the gym another day just to work out. Here's hoping I can get back in the rhythm of things, after all HALF the month has already been WASTED!!!

Chard????

2010-07-07T13:28:00.002-06:00

I got some Chard today, Never had it before but it was free so I figure I'll try it. I need to get back in the whole trying new veggies out thing, I've let that go. During the last comp I did this and found out I like a lot of different "weird" veggies, some of which I hadn't ever heard of. Well here's to new adventures. We'll see!

excercise....

2010-07-03T14:29:00.002-06:00

Well I haven't been in a gym since May 20th or so.... yesterday was great went bike riding with the kids for a couple of miles or so then yesterday evening the hubby went with us on a bike ride too.... not sure how long it was maybe 5 or so miles??? then today ugggghhhhh excercise came in the form of a shovel, a hoe, a rake, a wheel barrow and a truck load of dirt. But looking at it as excercise instead of work helped. My oldest didn't think it was too great but he helped alot because my hubby had to leave for work, oh well such is life. I still hope to get in a bike ride later too.

Measurements

2010-07-01T15:34:00.002-06:00

I just wanted to encourage you to take measurements every month as well as weigh in.
I did and I am glad now. Even when the scale seems to be still your inches could be falling off. I mean in the last comp I would have never believed that I had lost over 8 inches in my thighs and even lost some in my wrists. It makes you feel good when you can see the progress being made.

And we R off!!!

2010-07-01T10:09:00.004-06:00

Just checking in, it's July 1st, the begining of my 2nd competition. I am sad to report I have gained a little weight since the last competition, partially due to my vacation back home for a month and partially due to "not being in a competition anymore". But such is life! I am hoping to get back on track and blow everything out of the water this month and not only get back down to the # I ended the last comp with but get even further. I hope more people join in the competition too. But if not oh well. Good luck to all who are continuing on the journey and welcome to the newbies! "LET'S GET READY TO............ LOSE!"

Back in CO

2010-06-24T16:29:00.002-06:00

Ok so now I am back in CO and have *gulp* 6 days until the beginning of the new Competition!!!!! Now it's time to get my but back in gear!!!! I have not been horrible but I have been bad and we'll just keep it at that. But my hubby says he is joining the competition this time!!! YAY!!! So maybe I'll do better having someone doing it right beside me, that's got to make things easier doesn't it.

internet withdrawl

2010-06-13T20:58:00.003-06:00

Ok so I don't get to get on the internet very much. I have been visiting family in SC since the end of May so blogging opportunities are few and far between. I am trying hard not to gain weight during my/our month off. but it is so easy to say " well I'm not competing now so ....." But I have exciting news!!!!!!!!!!!!
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NO I'M NOT PREGNANT!!!!!

My Husband is going to join in the weightloss fun!! WAHOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! I mean I'm not sure how to afford new wardrobes for the both of us after all is said and done. But it will be nice to be under a 500lb combined weight< LOL. Well I'll be back home in a week and a half. Bitter sweet, But it's what God has for us at this time.

Food wars in my mind,

2010-06-01T04:35:00.003-06:00

I have made it to SC with all 4 kiddos still intact! Oh yea and my own sanity in tact too. We are visiting friends and family and having a good time. I am finding my self in war in my mind I'm calling it the Great Food War of 2010, LOL. Due to the glorious "southern way" of Sweet Tea and Fried Things I have had some difficulty eating correctly so I am going to try getting by a grocery store soon to pick up some quick healthy snacks to fill in the gaps. I haven't eaten horribly so far it's just that I haven't eaten enough. I've opted out of eating if it wasn't "decent" food. But of course that means I'm hungry all the time. Oh well Just got til Saturday RIGHT? Ok I'm off to figure out what I'm doing today. Good luck to all!

School's out.... now what

2010-05-27T15:37:00.002-06:00

School is out for the kiddos and now summer begins. We leave Saturday for SC so I'm hoping I can manage not to do any damage between now and the 5th, heck between now and the time I get back to CO, LOL! Kari keeps asking me how I'm going to not partake in that wonderful southern food while I'm there. And the answer is ... I don't know. I'll just have try extra hard I guess. I have frozen my gym membership so I haven't been to the gym in over a week I have honestly been somewhat stationary. Hopefully I can find some fun filled days in SC that involve lots of swimming, hiking, etc..... We will See.

Last week in CO

2010-05-23T23:03:00.002-06:00

I'm getting myself and the 4 kiddos ready to hop on a plane this Saturday and head to SC to visit for almost a month. So I may or may not blog again this week...... I'll be packing the scale up too. Lots to do, lots to remember, lots to forget.............um speaking of forgetting I really need to go get my weigh-in outfit and pack it too, later!

maybe this IS the best time to feel like crap?!?!

2010-05-19T15:50:00.002-06:00

Just plugging along, both yesterday evening and today I've felt horrible so needless to say nothing sounds good in the food department so I haven't eaten much, maybe it will help me lose the weight just in time for the final weigh in!?!? I know it's not great for me not to eat but that's better than turning to the comfort "sick" foods. Hoping to make it to the gym tomorrow and to ZUMBA tomorrow night (high goals for me at this moment)

sore....

2010-05-17T13:25:00.003-06:00

We played our 2nd softball last night and won it 9 to 5. Which was a miracle seeing as how we were only playing 7 1/2 people on the field when you normally play 10. yes I said half, I was the half. We were short girls for the field so we had to sit out a guy putting us down to 8 then at my 1st at bat I pulled my hamstrings!!! So I couldn't sit out or anythng cause if I did we'd only be able to put 6 on the feild. So I just played. It was fun until I had to run then it was painful. I'm doing better this morning/afternoon but still sore. I think I have to admit that I am getting old and must stretch before a game. Oh well such as life. Oh yea our first game we won 27-5 wahooo! Now I am trying not to forget all the end of year conferences for the boys and the end of year parties, and the end of year end of year.......etc...... Oh yea and trying to prepare to fly to SC with just myself and the 4 kiddos!! What fun!

Edamame for Mommy

2010-05-14T18:38:00.002-06:00

I have come to love Edamame. Not sure if it's because of the taste and crunchiness or just so I can say the word!! Tonight's dinner for the family was a yummy tasting ham and potato casserole with corn and greenbeans. SO for my dinner I made the same thing minus the potatoes, corn, and just a few greenbeans. But I added Edamame. It was yummy. My hubby and kids aren't ready for the full on "healthy" foods yet so I just make mine separate. And I had a yummy salad with my casserole too with home made honey mustard dressing but only 3 tsp of it.

Not much new

2010-05-11T15:01:00.003-06:00

Not much new but I don't want to absent mindedly forget to blog this week. The biggest thing going on right now is the forecasted 12-24 inches of snow that we are supposed to get between now and tomorrow. UUGGGGHHHH I am , like so many others, ready for the spring/summer time to get here and STAY!!! Oh well I guess I'll get real summer in 18 days when I go back to SC for a month... then I'll be complaining about the hot and mugginess. So I guess I just need to learn to make the best of what God's dealing out no matter what!

Living LARGE.

2010-05-06T13:01:00.002-06:00

Ok so for the first time in ... ever, I tried on a T-shirt size Large and it fit. Still a little tight but it fit. No I'm not going to wear it out in public but the thought that I could still breathe and move was/is awesome to know, who knows when I go back home to visit the end of this month maybe that Large will fit fine. What a great thought!

Almost forgot to check the winners!

2010-05-05T21:35:00.002-06:00

It's 9:30 pm and as a SAHM my afternoon's/evenings get busy. So I did what I had to do and got home finally and sat down. My Hubby says "So, how'd you do with the contest?" I thought for a minute and responded,"What contest?" HA HA WHAT CONTEST?!?!?! I'm telling you if I didn't know my own age I'd swear I was an Alzheimer patient or something. So I finally caught on and came to the computer and lo and behold 4th place!!!! YES!!!!! I was wondering how I was going to afford going to Boulder on Friday and going to MOPS on Monday. Phew got it covered!!

Compliments.

2010-04-27T21:59:00.003-06:00

The other day I came to the realization that I've always just tried to blend. Due to my weight I have developed confidence issues therefore making it hard for me to accept being noticed. Like the other day Kari "complimented" me by saying something about the shirt I was wearing and how it used to be clingy. Well I don't remember saying thank you or agreeing or anything but I'm sure I made some joke or either just shrugged it off , as is my usual way of dealing with being noticed. I know it's hard work to truly loose the weight but I think it's going to be harder for me to get rid of my "fat girl" mentality that is me. I mean that's who I've been my whole life. I guess the phrase we use when someone looses a lot of weight "the new you" is more than the weight it's the mind as well. I hope that when I do get to my "real size" that I know it and am able to quit seeing myself as that "fat Girl". And be the confident woman that I know is in this body somewhere. So I can take the compliments without feeling awkward about it and KNOW that I disserve them.

Oh Yea thank you for the compliment Kari!

Anita Renfroe - Before I Eat

2010-04-27T21:41:00.000-06:00

Just put this on my Facebook page then thought I'd share it with my fellow weight loss peeps. I just think it's funny.

For the love of Feta!!

2010-04-20T09:33:00.002-06:00

I am somewhat amazed by my maturing of the tastebuds (so to call it) since I began this competition. I recently decided that I would buy something different every time I do Major grocery shopping this week it was Feta Cheese. My hubby said he didn't think I'd like it due to it's bitterness. WRONG I love it, the added flavor with just a little bit added to an omelet or salad or what ever it's great. I've also come to like raw tomatoes. For my entire life the thought/taste of raw tomatoes made me gag. I could go on an on as to the new veggies I have come to love but I think you get the point.

I've also ran into some veggies/fruits that I don't like. One example are Mangoes, bought for the first time , tried, and DISLIKE (for now, maybe I'll try again in a few years).

Oh well that is all I can come up with for this week so far. But the week is young maybe I'll have more later in the week?

clothing progress...

2010-04-16T15:35:00.003-06:00

I really don't know what to write about but I know I need to. I tried to join in a local group here for a hike last night but after a 20 minute wait at the meeting point, I left. A bit disappointed but I wasn't about to do a hike some place I didn't know at6pm at night by myself. I probably would have been ok but just didn't want to try it. So instead I went to the local K-mart and bought some things for my hubby and then bought some undershirts for me the "wife beater style" but with color I went ahead and bought the 1x and an over Tank shirt that was a 1x too. And they fit and what's more I wore them out in public. It's a bit more form fitting than I usually wear but I guess even though I'm still a 1x size I have gained a little confidence in my body. I'm not totally happy with it but confident. Seeing as how 4 months ago I was in 3x shirts , sometimes 2x, 1x is a big deal. And I am actually thinking about buying a new bathing suit... the problem is deciding on what size. I mean even though this competition is done June 5th I am planning on continuing on. I'd love to drop down to my high school size by the end of the year. Never thought it possible but seeing the progress in these short 4 months anything is possible, right?

Wow for someone that didn't know what to write about I sure am a chatter box!

Some one noticed and said something!

2010-04-11T15:02:00.002-06:00

I know I've lost a bunch of weight. But today was the first time someone that didn't know what I've been up to said something. It feels good to have that happen. I need to remember what clothes I wore today because they must fit well. Anyways I just had to post this incident. YAY!!!!

Why is it?

2010-04-09T00:43:00.002-06:00

Why is it that our own worst critic for us women, tends to be the one that is closest to us........ by that I mean ourselves. We can really discourage ourselves. I WON 2nd!!!! and I'm happy to have won but I don't see the obvious progress I've made. I mean I know I have bought and am wearing smaller jeans so Why is it???? Ok totally hypothetical question so I'm not fishing for sympathy or any answers Just a thought to ponder. Because we all , well most of us, suffer from this "Why is it?- syndrome".

Well my winning has bought myself a jogging stroller!! I've been wanting to get one for a while so I sold my other one last week in hopes to save up to buy one soon. But now I have some extra $$$ and I can get it now. I'm hoping it enables me to so more "excercise" with my two little ones in tow more often. It's crazy for me to be excited over this because the thought of excercise a few short months ago was something to make me laugh. But now ... don't tell anyone.... but..... I kinda like it! I went to the gym tonight and did a good workout. started with 20 min on the elliptical (straight through) And the elliptical and I have had a love hate relationship, meaning I love to challenge myself but I hate the elliptical. then I did 7 miles in 20 minutes on the bike which is awesome for me. Did some weights on the machines, did another 5 on the elliptical and another 7 miles in 20 min on the bike. PHEWWWW that is alot for me. Ok I'll quit I'm getting a little long winded. Hope everyone's weekend is GREAT! Good luck for this month!!!

THEY BUTTONED AND >>>wait for it>>> THEY ZIPPED!

2010-04-05T10:18:00.002-06:00

Ok so I know it was like Friday that I was saying my weight was at a satgnant place. But I wasn't really taking into account the weight from the beginning of the month. I have actually lost 15.1 pounds and what's more my Pants for the picture ZIPPED AND BUTTONED! And when you look at the big picture I've dropped down almost 4 sizes in my pants! Sometimes we look at the here and now and forget about how far we've come in what is really a short time!

Stalemate.....

2010-04-02T17:03:00.003-06:00

That's what I feel this battle has resulted in ... a stalemate. I've gotten to a place where I just am. Time to start a new assault on the weight. Not sure how to attack but it must be lethal..........................

Boot Camp!!

2010-03-29T06:43:00.002-06:00

Ok so I joined a Body Boot Camp class at the gym. Figured it's only 30 minutes I could hang. UUUUGGGHHHHH I didn't quit but I didn't exactly hang either. My fitness level is not there not to mention the lack of ability to breath freely due to a chest cold given to me by my sweet daughters. But I'll keep going anyways it can only get better ... hopefully.

While at the class this morning I have decided that there is really no "taming of the boobs". By this I mean that no matter what bra I wear I still run the risk of pulling a "Dolly Pardon" ( giving myself a black eye, LOL). I mean I am not that big but when doing jumping jacks and bouncing around I feel in serious danger. I just bought bras and purposely got them a bit smaller than the last so 1. I don't lose weight too fast and need new ones too soon. 2. to attempt to fasten things down for excercise . and 3. cause it seemed like a good idea. Oh well guess I could be like Karilynn and have none, LOL ;o) Just kidding, had to take a shot. Love ya Karilynn!!!

Well on to the countdown to weigh in. Good luck to all!

Bummed....

2010-03-23T19:33:00.002-06:00

I never would have thought I'd be bummed about not being able to go to the gym but I am. My girls were sick the past few days so I got sick and was not able to go to the gym monday. I was going to go this morning but My youngest was up all night and thus I was so I didn't and then I didn't want to take the girls in and infect the other little ones. NOW it's snowing outside and the roads are a real big mess. I want to go to the gym in the a.m but I'm not sure it will be wise. For those of you who don't know me,..... which is all of you but Karilynn. I am from South Carolina. I am not a Snow driver. I am learning but still learning. Hopefully it'll all be ok and I can brave the ice at 5 a.m. guess I'll see in the morning.

YES!!!!! Progress!!

2010-03-21T10:22:00.002-06:00

Ok so I've been totally against buying myself new clothes until I was down considerably in size. I went to the Good will yesterday and they had 99cent jeans. So I figured why not. I picked some out for the kids couldn't pass that up. and on the way to the register I decided to glance at the Plus sizes and see if they had some decent jeans WITHOUT ELASTIC. I didn't see any in "my size" so I decided to buy some a few sizes down cause they were nice. So I bought one pair that was 2 sizes smaller than my current pants thinking one day soon they'd fit. Then I bought a pair that was one size smaller than that thinking Eventually I'd fit into them. and Then I saw a pair that was one size smaller than that that were BRAND NEW so I got those thinking in a year or so maybe???? Washed them last night and 2 of the 3 FIT NOW!!!!!!!!! No they are not skin tight in fact the one pair is a little loose. But Hey I'M HAPPY. While the size is still up there I've now officially dropped down 2-3 sizes depending on the cut. AWWWW HECK I'm claiming the 3 size difference cause it makes me feel better!!!!!! So now the third pair I thought I'd be able to wear in a year or so...... I'm thinking by the end of this comp now.

Big goal to accomplish.

2010-03-19T10:47:00.002-06:00

Until now I've been just doign this comp in hopes that I'd loose weight and not give up. I've decided I needed to start setting goals for myself, with weightloss and life. So I've added a ticker. I have set a goal of losing 30 more pounds in the next 3 months. I should be able to obtain this goal seeing as how I lost 20 in the month of January. I've slowed waaayyy down since then so there is the possibilty of me not getting to this goal. Guess we'll see. If I so reach this goal by June that will be a total of 50 lbs for this whole comp that'd be pretty darn great!!! It'd be especially great because the end of May I'm flying back home with the kiddos for a month's visit. It'll sure surprise the friends and family.

Sex and Avacados??????

2010-03-17T15:43:00.003-06:00

I would have never put the two together but I was investigating the different types of Avacados due to the recent sales ads and noticing the different prices for different avacados and According to the folks at produceoasis.com

"Until recent years, the avocado had a well-entrenched reputation for inducing sexual prowess and wasn't purchased or consumed by any person wishing to protect their image from slanderous assault. Growers had to sponsor a public relations campaign to dispel the ill-founded reputation before avocados became popular."

So I guess if someone were going through a dry spell and needed a boost in that area they could eat a few avocados??? Just thought it was intereting and wanted to share......... Oh yea they did say avocados were nutritionally good for you too. LOL!

Back at the Gym

2010-03-17T09:17:00.002-06:00

Finally made it back to the gym this morning. Only did a small bit of weights and 80 minutes on cardio. Still happy with it and so far my back is too. I also signed on as the Walk Captain for my church for the Walk for Life supporting the Alpha Pregnancy Center that ministers to young mothers and provides an alternative to abortion for them. It's only a 2 mile walk but it's something. So if any of you want to walk for life let me know I can sign you up. And You don't have to be local to do it either. Oh yea , Haven't ran this past my Hubby yet but I signed up for a Boot Camp class at the gym it's an extra $32 I wasn't planning on but hopefully he'll be okay with it. We'll see.

Down and out

2010-03-15T18:43:00.002-06:00

I had a great week as far as work out and food intake , for me. then I guess I got a little over zealous Friday with my work out then the kids were out of school so we did a lot of biking < Cause Saturday I was all but immobile due to back pains and my hubby had to work so that was great. Yea and Sunday while I was a bit better I still took it easy so as not to aggrivate my back. And then there was today. I've been moving and doing some house work but I decided to skip the gym today.. I hope to go in tomorrow to do a little cardio at minimal but if I'm feeling better I may do more??? Who Knows. Oh well such is life. Even with the lack of excercise over the past 3 days I've managed not to gain but not to loose either so that's good and bad. Have a great week everyone!!

Excercise Thursday/Friday

2010-03-12T16:04:00.002-07:00

I'll admit I was a bit lazy on Thursday, Guess I was resting before my boys got home and begun their loooonnng Spring Break, LOL.
Anyways Thursday I rode bikes with the kiddos for about 2 miles and that's it.

But today, I was up early and at the gym at 5:30 this a.m. I did a quick warm up and then I did something Karilynn may be proud of and or shocked by. I did a circuit work out that consisted of Jump roping, wall squats with the medicine ball while keeping the big ball up on the wall, and then walking lunges. I did this circuit 3 times with Jump Rope 100 times each. then I hit the cardio and did a grand total of 100 MINUTES!!! I even did the elliptical for two different 10 minute intervals and one time I did 15 min!!! If you've looked at my previous posts you'd know I have a DISLIKE of this machine. In the middle of the cardio I took a break and did some weight machines.

But that's not all. I also took the kiddos on a bike ride to get food. So I not only tugged my two little ones on my bike but when I got to the Food Bank that is like ummm 1.5 miles away then I but the food on the trailer too and lugged it all back. My boys followed me and did good with it all. This makes me excited because now I know that we can have many long distance bike rides in our future. Depending on the weather we may bike to the parade tomorrow morning, who knows?

Thursday/ Friday

2010-03-12T15:55:00.002-07:00

I've been trying to locate my written food log from yesterday. My kids helped me "clean" and now that one paper is gone.

Here is my food for yesterday as well as I can remember:
1/2 c cottage cheese
1/4 c strawberries
1/8 c walnuts
1 scoop MILA

Snack- banana

Lunch- Baked chicken 6oz
1 c green beans

Snack- banana

Dinner- 8 oz baked chicken
8 pickle chips
homemade honey mustard ( made with yogurt)

I don't know the exact oz of water but I know it was well over 100
I think I drank 2 c coffee with creamer.

As for today.....well my kids are home and I ate well but can't remember what it was exactly but here's the best I can do

B- egg white omlet with onion, steak, spinach, mushrooms, cottage cheese
water with MILA

s- spoon of peanut butter

L- Peanut butter Honey Sandwhich with one slice Carb Smart bread only has 7 carbs.

s- 1 c cottage cheese 1/4 cup strawberries

Dinner will be Fazoli's.... I know what you are thinking but I looked online for their "nutrition guide" I'm ordering their Grilled Chicken/Fruit salad it seems to be the best option....... My church is having a fundraiser so this is why I'm going. My family will be eating all they can eat spaghetti and bread sticks.

Wednesday Food Log

2010-03-10T19:06:00.003-07:00

Okay so today unlike yesterday and the day before NO STEAK!!! I still have some cooked in the fridge but I'm sick of it.

10 oz water
20 oz water
Breakfast- Cup of egg whites, 1/4 c spinach, 1/2 cup mushrooms, 2 Tbsp cottage
cheese, 2 Tbsp cheddar, 1 scoop MILA
20 oz water
Snack- 1 large cup coffee, 1 1/2 TBsp creamer
2 med bananas
Lunch- 20 oz water
4 boiled eggs, 1 Tbsp sourcream, 1/2 Tbsp mustard, 1/2 Tbsp honey
14 pickle chips
2 oz ched cheese
snack- 20 oz water
1 cup walnuts
Dinner- 20 oz water 1/2 c BBQ pork
7 pickle chips
1 banana

and 20 more oz of water.

Today I got to the gym around 5:10am and left at 7:20am. I did 80 min of cardio and the rest I did weight machines. But Within the 80 min cardio I pushed myself to do 10 min straight on the elliptical (I don't like the elliptical so this is a big deal for me) In all I did 2- 10 minute times on the elliptical and one more 5 minute one for a total of 25 on it YAY ME. one day I'll be saying the elliptical is my favorite machine I just know it.

Food log day 2

2010-03-09T20:45:00.002-07:00

i did beter with the water intake today than I have in a while I'm happy with that. Now I want to say right up front that I don't usually eat so much steak but we had it for the first time in a loooong time yesterday so today's meals were steak, steak and steak. THis is not normal.

20 oz H20
Breakfast- 1/2 banana
cup of coffee with 1Tbsp creamer
1/2 c eggwhites with 1/4 c spinach, 4 oz sirloin, 1Tbsp cottage
Cheese, 1 Tbsp cheddar cheese, 1/2 scoop of MILA all made into an
omlet

Snack- 20 oz H2O
1/2 c cottage cheese, with 1/4 c blueberries, small handful of
walnuts, 1/2 scoop MILA,
cup coffee 1 tbsp creamer

Lunch- 20 oz H2O
4 oz sirloin sauted in olive oil with avacado and onion
with 1 tbsp steak sauce and 1 tbsp worshtisire sauce
2 cups of lettuce
balsamic dressing
2 oz cheese

snack- 20 0z H2O
1 cup walnuts
cup of coffee with 1 tbsp creamer

Dinner- 20 oz H2O
4 oz sirloin in a steak fajita mix with onions, avacado, tomato,
and pepper
1 tbsp sour cream
1 tbsp chicken taco casserole (made for the kids had to taste!!)

20 oz H2O

I'm thinking I've had enough steak for a while...... unfortunately there is still more in the fridge so I'm thinking of how I can prepare freezer meals using it so it is gone and I can cook something else.........

Food Log Day 1

2010-03-09T06:45:00.002-07:00

Ok so i was going to do the food log via paper but I see some are posting it on their blogs and I thought this would be a good way for me to "not forget" and it would keep me accountable so here's yesterday's food.

Keep in mind my diet mainly focuses on carb intake. All veggies/fruits are good and breads , pastas ,etc are bad.

20 oz water

Breakfast- 2 servings homemade frozen fruit cup
20 oz water

Morning Snack- This was at a MOPS meeting so I had a little of a lot
1 cup coffee with 1 tsp creamer
16 oz water
2 tbsp fruit
1 tbsp eggs,cheese, ham caserole
2 tbsp other fruit mix
2 tbsp egg broccoli, thing
Lunch- 20 oz water
3 cups lettuce
1 egg
little bit of cheese
1 apple
balsamic vineagar/olive oil dressing
2 slices turkey
Afternoon snack- 1 banana
cup coffee w/ 1 tsp creamer
Dinner- 8 oz sirloin
2 cup lettuce
1/2 egg
little cheese
balsamic dressing
20 oz water

Then things got busy soooo no snack ;o)
seems like alot to me but not many carbs so I'm happy.

Now for today!!!

salad dressing

2010-03-08T12:38:00.002-07:00

How do you make healthy salad dressing? I've tried the olive oil and balsamic vineagar thing but it turned out ...less than desireable. I even mtried doctoring it up. There's the honey mustard dressing I could do but I want some change. My thing is the carb count, it has to be low. ANy recipes for homemade dressing????

In the words of Lofty & Bob the Builder....

2010-03-08T02:11:00.005-07:00

In response to Karilynn's head hunt..... oh I mean direct challenge. All I can think to say is "uh Yea, I think so" which is the famous words of Lofty from Bob the Builder. I know it doesn't seem so sure of a response but I made the mistake of over analyzing the challenge before responding . Yes I got out the calculator and did the math and saw the much much much bigger # that I'd have to loose to beat Kari. A bit over whelming to say the least , "Can I do it?!?!"..... "Yes I can!!!!" Sorry for all the Bob The Builder references buy my daughter, yes my daughter, has been watching waaaayyy to much of the guy, therefore I have too. So now I've used Bob's words to get all fired up and That's what My motto for this month will be. Everytime I slip or feel like I'm slipping I'll ask myself "Can I do it" and Proudly respond.............. come on say it with me, "YES I CAN!!!!!"

Gym was good today

2010-03-05T16:46:00.003-07:00

Once I got up and moving I was feeling good. I did some weights and cardio today. I actually made it to 60 minutes of cardio today. This included two 5 minute sessions on the elliptical (you must understand I really dislike the elliptical) I struggle to get 5 minutes done at one time so I break it up. So now March is here and I am planning on 3 mornings a week at the gym and hopefully I'll actually go another time or two each week. Then I am going to do atleast one ZUMBA class per week 2 if possible.

uuuugggghhhh!!!!!

2010-03-04T08:17:00.002-07:00

This is so not FAIR!!!! I've gone 2 years with no TOM due to pregnancy/IUD now it's back full forced!!!! Last month was the 1st one right in time for weigh in. And I've been feeling like crap for the past 2 days to the point of thinking I may need to get a Pregnancy Test and then today..... I found out TOM is visiting. I never knew or thought of this acronym before this competition but I like it because it's like blaming a guy for this time. Like you can say "UGH I HATE TOM!!" or something like that. Somehow blaming a "guy" helps a bit, LOL! I've never had this hard of a time with TOM till now. It was always an easy time for me with little inconviences. But now I'm not liking it because of the timing of the beginning of the month right along with weigh in and then the physical tol it takes on me. Ok I know TMI but I don't have anyone to vent to so I am blogging about it.

Glad March is here!

2010-03-01T11:30:00.001-07:00

Not to excited about the weigh in but I am glad it is almost here so it can be done. I guess I'm just ready for better results this month and better commitment from myself. Hate the fact I basically threw this month away. While I haven't gained I haven't really lost either. Goodbye and good riddance to February.... Bring on March!!!

It's official

2010-02-25T11:30:00.003-07:00

I officially joined the Gym today. And since I made the drive I worked out by myself for oh about 1 1/2 hours. I did 20 on the treadmill then spent a good bit of time traveling around the weight machines torturing my thighs again in multiple ways and of course doing some arms as well, then i did a few reps on a machine that makes you not only do situps/crunches but lift extra weight too. I did 10 minutes on the bike and another 10 on the treadmill. Oh yea I'm counting the stairs up to the childcare too. So now I have to get the girls in bed for a nap then clean cause the inlaws are due here any time now!!!

looking forward but not....

2010-02-23T15:22:00.002-07:00

I'm looking forward to the 5a.m. gym date I got going but I'm not sure my thighs and but are. Man they are sore from Monday's 5 a.m. date that came close to making me puke. I know TMI there but it's true. Yesterday after the gym I felt great but today all I can think of is "Do I really have to use the restroom?" cause I just don't want to go throught the pain. I must keep a joking spirit about this it's really not that bad but it still is sore. That's just my body's way of saying the excercise is being effective I guess.

New Shoes

2010-02-22T20:33:00.002-07:00

Yea, so I've gone to the gym a few times now and realized that my sneakers I bought like ....7 years ago are worn out and no good for workouts. I tried being cheap, those shoes were worse than my old ones. So tonight I finally got out to the store and bought these running shoes. Looking forward to trying them out. Hopefully they'll make a difference. And oh Karilynn look.. they are PINK!

GYM

2010-02-18T13:43:00.002-07:00

Okay finally made it to the gym with Karilynn. It wasn't too bad I have to admit. Although after about 20 min on the treadmill, 5 minuts on the elliptical thinggy, and 15 minutes on the bike my legs felt like spaghetti. But after about 20 min or less they were back to feeling normal. I am getting up early tomorrow and going again, Thanks Karilynn. Hopefully I'll survive tomorrow workout too. ;o)

I feel like Jewel!

2010-02-17T20:49:00.004-07:00

Ok so I went shopping tonight with NO KIDS!!!! I bought lots of veggies and it made me think of Jewel and how she is always putting up pics of her FAB-veggies on her FAB-blog with her FAB-self. So I wanted to join in. I just hope my family is able to eat all of this before it goes bad!!! I figured I'd hit the ground running in the veggie department and what's best is I got all this with some meat and cheese and trail mix and treats for the kiddos for around $34. I love to get alot for little!

It's over!!!

2010-02-17T14:23:00.002-07:00

Ok so I have been "loosing my motivation" .... NOT. That is just an EXCUSE!!! Ummmm wasn't that the challenge last week?!?!?! Guess I better try to do that one again. I have decided that the biggest SELF-DEFEATING MOMENTS most often occur in my mind. I have been letting my SELF-DEFEATING MOMENTS run my days/life. I need to stop doing that. I am done with the woe is me way of thinking. I am going to make myself eat veggies I don't like or have never tried. My first veggie of sort is going to be Asparagus. the local stores have it for 77cents a pound so cost is not an excuse. I have looked up recipes via allrecipes.com and am going to tweak them a bit. I even looked into how to blanch the asparagus so I can freeze some for next week. I have tried it before but it is just "not my thing" so I'll have to cleverly disguise it. I do that with carrots, I don't like them so I chop them up and mix them in ground turkey, chicken, or hamburger and make burgers or meatloaf. It is my way of "tricking" myself. So step by step I'll get to LOVE more veggies.

I am going to the gym tomorrow morning to begin my first trial week. And then hopefully I'll be able to join it next week. That alone will force me to go more often just so I won't be wasting my money. and then ZUMBA Thursday night, (if my hubby gets home to take the kids in time). I'll just be ready and waiting for him so I can get out the door.

So now I've posted this and have to stick to it. YAY!

Trying to get my motivation back.

2010-02-14T19:50:00.003-07:00

While I haven't been really excercising the past few weeks, I have been watching my eating and drinking the water. I finally got back to ZUMBA today and found out there is another FREE class on Thursday evenings. I am going to try to go to it too, if my Hubby makes it home in time???? I was going to visit a gym last week but the youngest was sick so there went my plans. I really want to make it to the gym this week. Here's to getting back on track!!!

don't know

2010-02-09T13:06:00.003-07:00

Don't really know what to post about this week..... I haven't really done anything so far but I am going to visit a gym later this week. I need to get my momentum boosted back up. I really want to loose the extra person I'm carrying around but the laziness and excuses keep catching me ...............I know the challenge this week is to look at our excuses and reflect on them and toss them out the window. So I'm working on it.

Happy with the loss!

2010-02-05T16:44:00.002-07:00

Okay so even if I've stayed the same weight for the last week I really can't complain. I've lost 6.7% of my starting weight(If I did the math right). That's a good chunk. Hopefully Feb will have even more loss for me. After tax refunds come in I'm joining a gym and my hope is that the looming fact that I will be wasting money if I don't go workout will inspire me to do even more than I have. Up til now I've done the wii fit plus, walk and ride my bike (weather permitting) and I've done 2 ZUMBA classes. I want to fuel the fire back up for the rest of the competition and blow my family away when I go back home to visit this summer. I haven't told any of them I was doing this and since I've been majorly over weight my whole life It'll be awesome to see their reactions. So I better make more use of my $40 bucks, LOL!

....

2010-02-02T08:21:00.002-07:00

So I haven't blogged for a few days. Just kinda feeling in a little "funk" no real reason just there. Anyways I've been doing a little everyday this week Zumbal Sunday afternoon, and yesterday jumped on the Gazelle and did 10 minutes (which is a lot for me) and 40 minutes on the WFP then I did manage to get in a short 1 mile bike ride with an extra 60+ lbs in tow behind me. My plans yesterday was a 4 mile ride but things got tossed up and we didn't get out until after 4:30 and it was just too cold for my little ones at that time. THe sun went down and the wind kicked up. Maybe we will be able to get a midday start today????? One can hope.

How much does a gym membership cost?

2010-01-28T08:57:00.002-07:00

My husband is talking about a gym membership for me with tax money. So what is a good price?? I'll have to shop arround. If anyone in the Northern Colorado area have a gym they go to and wouldn't mind sharing the price I'd appreciate it.

Has anyone else done this????

2010-01-25T18:47:00.002-07:00

Ok so I am a big cooker. Love to do it. But the way I've always told if the noodles were done or the seasonings are right was to taste it. So tonight while making dinner I did the normal thing and decided to go off the beaten path and "change" the recipe (not that I follow one most of the time) I tweaked the way I usually make the family's beef stroganoff. When I thought I was done I mindlessly popped a fork full in my mouth. Then I quickly ran over to the sink and spit it out. Not because it was bad or yucky but because I automatically thought "Oh no I don't want these CARBS" after I washed my mouth out with water, I laughed at how silly that was. Mind you I did not eat the same thing my family did, I had steamed broccoli and cabbage with a small bit of hamburger meat and an altered less calorie version of the sauce. Which by the way was yummy!

I DID IT!

2010-01-24T17:07:00.002-07:00

Ok so I went to the free Zumba class, nervous as all get out...1. I didn't know anyone 2. I don't do public workouts 3. I have no coordination (I am a true white girl, LOL!) There was probablly almost 100 people there half of which were hispanic so the movements required seemed natural to them. It was fun! And surprisingly I made it the entire hour. I didn't do it correctly and if anyone was watching me I know they laughed like they were at a Jeff DunHam show! Anyways, I believe I'll go back. It sure was a sweat pouring workout! Who knows maybe over time I'll actually beable to coordinate my arms with my body and do the movements correct!

FREE ZUMBA ANYONE?!?!?!?!

2010-01-23T21:47:00.002-07:00

Well usually my best excuse for not working out is that "it cost too much". Now that excuse doesn't quite work all that well. Found out a two weeks ago that there was a FREE Zumba class on Sunday afternoons. So I am going to be brave and go try it tomorrow afternoon! I'm nervously excited about it. So if anyone in the Northern Colorado area wants to come to Fort Collins and go make a fool of yourself with me , let me know!! LOL! I'm not even sure if I can do it for the whole hour but I'll hide in the back of the group cause I know I don't have rhythm!!

Mommy's not a deer!

2010-01-21T20:35:00.002-07:00

Love the words that come from the innoncense of children. Tonight at dinner. I was teasing my Hubby about something he said to which he responded, "That wasn't my intention Dear!" My wonderful 3yr old daughter yells at him "No! She's not a deer, she's a mommy!" LOVE IT!!
This made me think of something that happened at my son's karate class this past tuesday.... I was sitting outside of the classroom/gym when a mom and her son walked past. He says , "mom if chewing gum isn't healthy for me then why do you chew it?" WOW! that can apply to all things in life. We wouldn't dream of allowing our children to eat whatever desert they wanted all the time or eat candy all the time. We would make them first eat a decent meal and then give them a small portion.(Most of the time) Why is it that we can recognize what is NOT HEALTHY for our children and then turn arround after they go to bed or school and then Dive into the very thing we wouldn't let them have because it was "bad for them". We need to learn as MOMs to protect our bodies like we would protect our children's bodies. I know I have told my kids in the past that they could only have one piece of candy because I know too much candy is not good for them. Yet when I had candy I'd have no problem eating ....well waaaayyyy to many pieces. This is in no way meant to be preachy or what have you . I just felt I needed to post this for my future reference.

I've come a long way with "protecting" my health since the beginning of this comp but I am a long way from the end of my journey.

Pedometer!?!?

2010-01-19T12:02:00.002-07:00

Ok so I've bought my pedometer. but it is frustrating when you walk some distance and it only registers a fraction of the steps. I thought I'd buy a better one and go with that but it has the same frustrating quality that the cheap ones do. I have to make sure it is placed in the exact spot so that atleast 3/4 of the steps get registered. I am going to continue to wear it , just knowing it is a small window into the actual steps I am taking.

I have been monitoring my weight loss thus far and I have decided I want to wait until the 5th to make it public knowledge because I have the fear that while it is down a bit now I may get into a stall and not loose anymore before then. I don't want to "jenx" it. I know that is stupid because just saying something couldn't possibly "jenx" anything but that is where i am now. I won't even tell my hubby yet. So I'm gonna keep on watching my carbs , working out atleast 1 1/2 hrs during the week and trying my darnedest to do so on the weekends and then try to get some steps registered on the pedometer!!!

Ditto!

2010-01-17T16:45:00.002-07:00

Seeing as how most of the others that have posted today have been agreeing to the challenge posed by Kari , I'll say Ditto. I'm in. of course I've been doing this already.... and yes as Kari says Make sure you are stocked up on the TP. I have been drinking a minimum of 1 1/2 gal which calculates to about 192 ounces. I just fill up my gallon tea pitcher and sit it on the counter. I use my water bottle of which if filled 3 times it is about 1/2 gal. I think sitting it out to be seen makes it easier to know if you've reached your goal. GOOD JOB ON THE CHALLENGE KARI!!! Good luck to one and all!

Old Country Buffet!!!

2010-01-16T19:19:00.002-07:00

Okay so yesterday I did good worked out for 2 hrs and did a bit of walking. Today I didn't get to workout ...I had to CLEAN thanks to someone in my younger sons class who gave him the wonderful gift of lice. So I checked all 4 heads ,luckily no one else had any. But I had to treat them all. and of course treat the whole house and myself (just in case). I know it's creepy to talk about but it happens.

Then we headed out to Cheyenne, WY to meet my inlaws for a birthday dinner for my hubby and his dad. Resturant of choice Old Country Buffet. But despite all the very tempting yummy food I saw while fixing the children's plates I ate a nice big salad and then some broiled fish. I even made TWO big BANANA SPLIT SUNDAES with the fixin's for the boys, while I ate a banana. The only workout I got was a small bit of walking in the mall. Oh and in preparation for the dinner out I had a small bit of applesauce with a strawberry cut up in it and a small handful of walnuts, and then a cup of yogurt for "lunch". So I guess my diet was okay I guess??

Well my goal of balancing family and workout on the weekend has failed so far. Here's to tomorrow hope it's better!

keep on keepin' on...

2010-01-14T21:16:00.002-07:00

That's my motto for today! I have tried hard to stick to a minimum of 1 1/2 hrs of workout per day. I would like to do more but with the kids and all it's hard to do more. And on the weekend It'll be even rougher, OY just remembered it's a loooonnngg weekend this go 'round. Something will have to give, just hope it's not my workout. gosh that sounds soooo selfish but it's the truth. I really don't want my workout time to suffer so my goal for the next week is to schedule weekend workout time. Wish me luck!! I do plan on buying a pedometer this weekend and I'm not gonna skimp and buy the cheapest one either. If you knew me you'd know that's a HUGE step. I usually live at the thrift store (only on 50% off days), or the Dollar Tree, or the clearance racks at Walmart, lol! Anyways with the pedometer I am going to attempt to get 10,000 steps a day as they do on the DR OZ show and hopefully the pounds will melt away!!!!

Don't us the potty in an elementary school....

2010-01-13T21:52:00.003-07:00

Don't use the potty in an elementary school.... if you don't want to really realize your size. My son Eli has Karate and it's taught at one of the local elementary schools in the evening. Due to all the H2O I've been drinking I had to use the potty. Well they build those things to fit the size of the average little kid. I think when this competition is done I will have to go back just to see how much better I fit in the stall, ha ha ha.

Just a thought I had to get off my chest!

...

2010-01-12T16:26:00.002-07:00

I didn't get to the extra workout yesterday.... Life happened and I got sat on the back burner. But today i took full advantage of my youngest's morning nap and worked out for 1 1/2 hrs. Then I tried to sneak in another 20 min this afternoon before my boys got home from school...... let's just say it took me 30 minutes to get through a 10 minute boxing workout on the Wii. The girls just wouldn't let me do it. It was mom, mom, mom.......... oh well maybe tomorrow. LOL!