Do It For You!

You always hear that you can't lose weight for anyone but yourself.  Just like a drug addict can't become sober unless they truly want to become sober for themselves.  It's actually pretty amazing to look at the similarities between trying to quit an addiction and lose weight.  I used to be a smoker.  I started smoking when I was around 16 or 17 and smoked until July 4th, 2005.  Funny how I know the exact date.  I still have the craving for a cigarette occasionally but I know I will never start smoking again because I never want to quit again.  That was some serious hard work.  I am determined to reach my goals and once I'm there I refuse to let myself go again.  I know it is going to take hard work and I'm already putting in the hard work.  Why would I want to keep doing it over and over again?  Why would I want to go back to unhealthy when I worked so hard to become healthy?

So, this morning, while on my walk/run, I was thinking about why I wanted to lose weight and become healthy.  I know I want to do it for me and no one else but me.  So here are a few of my reasons:

• I want to be healthy.
• I want to look good.
• I want to feel good.
• I don't want my thighs touching anymore.
• I want to wear high heels again.
• I want to wear the cute clothes I used to wear.
• I want to be confident when going to see my doctor.
• I want my boys to learn and know a healthy lifestyle.
• I want to live a long life and see how my family grows over the years.
• I want to travel the world.
• I want to be athletic.
• I want to be a runner.
• I want my body back.
• I want my outside to reflect how I feel on the inside.
• I don't want to be a statistic.
• I want to have energy to keep up with my boys.

I came across this picture on Pinterest today and went on a hunt to track down the original picture.  It is very fitting to my thoughts this week. 

~Heather

Home

I'm sitting at home, on reserve, not a soul in the house. No one to hold me accountable, the food is controlling me, although I haven't given it complete control.  I haven't gotten myself up off the couch to go into the fridge and get that swiss cake roll that is screaming my name, yet...

...and I don't plan on it.  So I turned to the blog.  A place I where can vent my frustrations about my husband even buying those stupid things.  Why?  Why does he insist on buying everything under the sun that I don't want to eat, but it is there, so of course I'm going to be tempted!  It's not his fault that I am fat, I chose to eat what I've eaten in the past and I can choose to either eat that swiss cake roll or I can choose not to eat that swiss cake roll.  Before starting the blog, and this whole life change, I would have said "screw it, no one will know, just eat it!"! I'm trying to remember I'm in control and you hold me accountable.

I feel like I am too early in this process to give in and let myself have a treat like that.  I haven't earned it yet (so I tell myself), maybe in a couple of weeks I will feel like I've earned it.  Maybe if I get up off the couch and do a little cardio, I will feel like I've earned it, but I don't see that happening.

Have I shared that I feel unmotivated to work up a sweat?  Heather and I have met the last 2 Sundays to go on our weekly walks, those are nice and we get uninterrupted chat time, but man I am so exhausted afterwards, that I just want to get home and crash!  In my mind, I know to maximize the benefits of Weight Watchers means that I need to get moving, but I continue to make excuses.  My excuse today is that I'm on reserve, which means I am on call.  I will have two hours to get dresses, out of the house and to the airport.  Not much time to get back home if I am out running!

I'm hoping that after my first weigh-in I will feel more motivated to get my butt of this couch!!  I heard a rumor that a friend of ours *cough, cough Ame* might be thinking about starting another boot-camp.  I did one of hers last year and felt wonderful after it was over, but that was short lived!  This time, I will not let my hard work go to waste!  This is a lifetime commitment...

~Kristie

Control

Before I ate something bad I would think, 'I 'm in control, I'm not going to let some diet tell me what to eat', so I would over indulge in whatever I was eating or drinking because I wanted control.  When I started this whole process I thought to myself I have to give up my control over food and eat with "they" (the diet) tells me to eat.

Boy did I have it all wrong!  In just two short weeks my mind has been completely changed!  I was reading in one the the Weight Watcher weekly pamphlet and came across something that has forever changed my thinking about control

"Go back to your inspirations: Why are you trying to lose weight?  Who's in control, you or the food?" - Kay

Then it hit me!  All this time, I've been thinking I'm in control, when really the food was controlling me!!  Now when I see something that I want to overindulge on, I'm going to remind myself that I am in control, not the food.  I've always wanted control over what I eat, and I did, I just had the wrong mentality for it.

Now, I just need to learn how to control my free time and work out when I have some, I'm totally failing in that area!!

~Kristie

Find Your Strong

With school starting last week, I've had a very hard time finding a time to get my walk/run in.  Carter has to be at school between 7:00 and 7:30 and Preston and Liam have to be at school at 9 and John starts working around 7:30ish.  The sun isn't coming up until around 6:45 and I'm not comfortable going out while it is still dark.  And it is so freakin' hot here right now, any time after 7:30ish is absolutely miserable.

I did work out yesterday for a short 30 minutes which is better than not doing anything.  However, I didn't feel like it was enough.  I worked out over at my good friend's house on her treadmill.  Definitely a nice change of pace and she helped me tons with encouraging words and pushing me a little further than I wanted to go.

This morning, I went out and decided to start the Couch to 5k program.  UUGGGHHH!!  That's what I have to say about that.  It was terrible.  I almost had to call John to come pick me up.  My shin on my left leg hurt so bad.  My first mile was about 17 minutes which isn't too bad for still walking A LOT but I was in so much pain by the end that I was averaging a 21 minute mile.  I guess I need to concentrate this week on building my endurance up a little to get back in the groove and start the 5k training next week?  Part of me feels like I'm making excuses but the last thing I want is to injur myself. 

I ran across this picture this morning and I really like it.  It says "Find Your Strong."  I think everyone has their own strengths and when it comes to getting healthy you need to do what is best for you.  My strong right now is not my running but I want it to be.  I know it's in there...I've had it once before.  I will find my strong again!!!

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!!!

~Heather

Cravings

You know how earlier this week, I posted that I was having a hard day and craving really terrible things??  Well, I have found that that craving is not going away.  Very frustrating.  So, today I decided that I just need to give in to the craving and then maybe it will go away.  Maybe??

In my quest for this craving I have eaten some pretty bad things.  And made some pretty poor choices.  However, I think that since I haven't actually eaten what I'm craving I'm still left wanting.  Does that make sense??

So, my big craving this week??..... Jalapeno Poppers

I did a little research this morning on good ole' Pinterest, because all the best are on there, right? lol (Have I mentioned that I love this site and think everyone should be one there?? {cough, cough, Kristie!!})  I came across a recipe for "healthier" jalapeno poppers.  I bought all the ingredients and now I just need to make them. 

Jalapeno Popper Recipe

It's actually a very cool website where I found them.  Hungry Girl.  This particular recipe she compares to Arby's Jalepeno Poppers and has the WW points calculated.  I will be sure to let everyone know how they turn out!! :)

~Heather

Weight Watchers

Yay!  I went to my first Weight Watchers meeting yesterday with Heather.  What a great experience!  I left there eager to watch my food intake, learn what food are "power foods" and what to stay away from!  I'm so glad that I have Heather there for good moral support and someone to bounce ideas off of.

Today, I learned that not everything at McAlister's Deli is good for you.  I had the Sweet Chipotle Chicken Sandwich and it was 16 (!) points! That's over half my points for the day!  I really had to watch what I ate the rest of the day.  The good thing is that fruit (within reason) is ZERO points, so I can eat that to make me feel more full.

Up next on my list is to stop by Luke's Locker or Run On to grab me some new runners!!

~Kristie

Weekly Weigh In {August 25th, 2011}

I went to my weekly WW meeting today.  I lost 1.2 pounds!  Yay, go me!!! 

Having a Hard Day

For some reason, I am totally off track today.  I'm very unmotivated.  I'm craving terrible foods.  I just want to sit on the couch and do nothing.  Maybe it's exhaustion catching up to me, maybe it's stress, maybe it's hormones...the list could go on and on.  I have to remember though to not let those "reasons" turn into excuses.  {sigh} What do others do to get past those cravings?  How do you combat the exhaustion?

New Gear

I went to a wonderful store yesterday, Run On.  They have a few locations throughout the DFW metroplex and they were the nicest most helpful people.  They measured my feet, watched me walk, and jog.  Talked to me about what I wanted to do with the shoes and asked about any problems I'm currently having.  Kandice is who helped me.  She recommended 3 different running shoes for me.  Asics, Brooks, and Mizuno.  I tried each pair on compared them to each while walking around the store.  I chose the  Mizuno Wave® Inspire™ 7 and I LOVE them.  They are very light weight and supportive.  I can't wait for my first run in them. 

They have a few different color choices but I got this color.

I also got a new sports bra.  I had what I thought to be a good sports bra but as soon as I started running, I quickly realized that it was a terrible non-supportive sports bra.  I mean, I was in pain with every step.  Horrible!!  So, I tried a few on and got the Moving Comfort Women's Juno Bra.  I'm in love with this bra.  The ladies don't move an inch with it on.  It isn't the easiest bra to take on and off and I'm a little nervous how I'm going to take it off after a sweaty workout but I think it's going to be so worth it. 



It is a razorback, has adjustable straps, and regular bra closure in the back.

I also got a few pairs of new socks.  I didn't splurge and get the super expensive socks but did get some that are more than what I usually spend.  They are the supporting type of socks and supposedly wick the sweat and everything away.  What I loved about them is they came in lots of different sizes.  I've found  that most women's socks come in a one size fits sizes 6-11.  Well, I wear a 5 1/2 or 6 so those socks are usually big on me.  I put these new ones on and thought they were too small at first but nope.  They just actually fit!!

So, hopefully I can get a run in and try everything out soon!  This week has totally thrown me for a loop since school started this week.  I have to get Carter to school by 7:20 so our routine has completely changed and I have yet to figure out how to run in the mornings.  I'm working on it though so hopefully in the next few days.  I go for my weekly weigh-in tomorrow so I will be back then!  Hope y'all are having a great week!!

~Heather

Stupid Cookies

I made cookies for Carter's first day of school.  I wanted to bake them so he would have something special to come home to.  Well, evidently the self control that I've had the past couple weeks just went totally out the window.  I had five, yes, count, 1...2...3...4...5!!!! cookies!! And they were DELICIOUS!!!  I don't feel too terrible because I did have the extra pts and I can't completely deprive myself but come on... I could have totally stopped at 1 or 2.  Oh well, track it in my food journal and move on.  This just proves that I can't have cookies in the house or else I will eat them.  Need to at least make it a little more into this journey before I purposefully put temptation in front of me.  Tomorrow is a new day and it will be better!!! :)

~Heather

Day 1

Day 1 is in the books for me!  I did well staying under my calorie intake, so I didn't use the 420 calories I burned this morning.  The donuts I picked up for the kids this morning on my way home, stared me in the face all day, until I finally had had enough and chunked them in the trash!  Kristie - 1 Donuts - 0!

This morning's walk was 3.5 miles, but felt like a mile.  Heather and I chatted the whole time and it barely felt like we were exercising, we made plans to go buy new shoes!  Run-On or Luke's Locker seem to be the best places to go and get fitted for them!  By the end of my walk my feet were killing me, so it is definitely time for some new runners!

Day 2 is going to be pretty exciting, starting with an early morning walk and then on to get Cutter up and ready for his first day of pre-school!

We've got this!  We are makin' this happen...we're gettin' our skinny back!

~K

I.AM.FAT!

Let me introduce myself...

Hi, I am Kristie and I am fat!

I am fat, not obese (although, if you look at my BMI, I am considered obese, but I don't consider myself obese).

I have a husband of almost 6 years and 2 kids, Cutter (3.5) and Gracie (2).  I have approximately 55 pounds to lose to get my skinny back.

I say I am fat, not because I have low self esteem, but because I have been lying to myself the last 5 years.  I have told myself over and over and over again, that I am not fat and I am.  I want to change that.  I love myself enough to want to be healthy for me, for my husband, for my kids and their kids.

Part of my problem is my job.  I have been a flight attendant for almost 10 years.  When I started I was in a size 4-6, now I'm in a 14 (how's that for reality!)!!!  Ouch!  It is so easy to eat out at the hotels, in airports or even airplane snacks (yuck!!)!  And let me tell you, they are NOT healthy.

My plan for kicking butt and getting my skinny back is joining Weight Watchers and workouts.  I have to commit to working out on my overnights, even when all I want to do it lounge around and enjoy the peace and quiet.  I have a goal of 40 lbs in 20 weeks, that can be done right?  YES, it can...and I am going to prove it to you.

Starting tomorrow 8/21, I'm starting my weight loss journey and I can't wait to see the results!

Thanks for holding me accountable....I'm counting on you!!!!

xoxo-kristie

Bragging

I have to brag on myself a little bit.  I'm very proud of myself.  We went out to eat last night at Chili's.  I researched the menu before we left and made a choice of what I wanted to eat before we got there.  I chose the Margarita Grilled Chicken.  It comes with black beans and rice.  It is YUMMY!!  John and I decided to split it so for WW, it was only 7 pts!!  When we first got there I had to take 2 of my kids to the restroom and when I got back John had already ordered chips and salsa/ranch.  Ugh!  I was a little frustrated.  Why would he put temptation directly in front of me when I'm trying to make the best choices??  Bottom line on that is he wasn't thinking and was hungry.  lol  It did help keep the kids entertained so I'm not complaining too much.  I, however, was very good and didn't eat one single chip!!  I'm so very proud that I had the self control to not touch  them.  So, at the end of the day I was actually short on my pts for the day and that was with eating out.  Don't worry though, I ate a spoonful of peanut butter to be sure I got all of my calories I needed to for the day.

Everything comes down to choices.  I'm making one choice at a time.  I can do this if I take baby steps.  I know I can!

Breakfast

I have a friend that loves cooking and even has a blog and Facebook page dedicated to her recipes.  I have tried a few things and have never been disappointed.  However, I despise cooking.  I can cook but I just plain and simple do not enjoy it.  I wish I did!!  In an effort to budget more wisely and eat more healthy, I have been cooking on a regular basis for a while.  It isn't too bad if you just plan it all out. 

So, one of Amanda's tricks is to bake breakfasts foods ahead of time and freeze them.  I took one of her ideas of mixing together eggs, sausage, splash of milk, and cheese then pouring it into greased muffin pans.  My one batch made 24 "muffins."  I will calculate the nutritional value and include that but I know the WW pts came out to 3 pts per muffin.  Not too shabby.  I talked about these in a previous post HERE but today was the first time I actually reheated them and ate it.

I reheat them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes (directly from frozen, would be shorter if they are defrosted) at 350.  I cut mine in half and put it on a toasted 100 calorie whole grain English muffin.  It is delicious and very satisfying.

(please forgive the iphone quality picture!)

After I cooked all of them, I cooled them off and  then put them on a cookie sheet to freeze and once frozen I put them in a large ziplock bag.

My boys gobbled  these up too.  I think these are going to become staples!

Nutritional Info: (per serving, 24 servings) (not including the English muffin)
Calories: 119
Total Fat: 9.5 g
Total Carb: 0
Fiber: 0
Protein: 7.9 g

Sticker Chart

I wanted to post what helps keep me motivated.  I think we are all kids at heart and whatever motivation worked as kids will still work as adults.  Who doesn't love stickers??  I use stickers to reward my kids all the time.  They love to show me stickers they got at school or from doctors' offices etc.  It gives them that little boost for a job well done.

I created a chart to track my weight and exercise progress.  I have it broken down in weeks as I'm also using it as a countdown to a cruise my family is taking in February.  (That's my other motivation :)) So on the far left I have week # which is how many weeks until my cruise along with the dates for that week.  Then the next column has the month.  The next 7 columns are for the days of the week, Sun - Sat.  The top number is the days left until my cruise and the bottom number is the date.  I pencil in my weigh ins and any notes.  I also have highlighted my first 5k that I registered for yesterday!!  (eeek!) 

So, I bought a pack of smiley face stickers (and praying that my boys don't find them!) and I put a sticker on each day that I walk/run or exercise in general.  It really helps to see when I've exercised and motivates me to get up and go the next day. 

Weekly Weigh In & Other Ramblings

I had my weekly Weight Watchers meeting last night and weighed in for the first time, well the second weigh in but the first since the initial.  I lost 3.2 pounds.  I know the first week is mostly water weight and I'm ok with that.  I actually ate a bit off plan over the weekend but I still tracked everything and accounted for everything. 

I might change my WW day to Thursday.  There was a sub leader yesterday and I really liked her.  She normally leads the meetings on Thursdays so I may try to make those meetings.  My mom is probably going to join too.  It will be fun to do this with my mom.  We went together the last time I did it and it was good to have her there for support.  She has reached lifetime membership when I was a kid so WW really does work.   I heard yesterday that if you stick to the plan and really make the lifestyle change then you will definitely see the results.  If you only half way work the plan and make the lifestyle change then you will only see half of the results.  I like that perspective. 

I went out with some girl friends last night and wanted a drink drink so badly so I ordered a "skinny" martini type drink.  Wasn't bad but don't know if it was really worth the calories. Oh well, the company was well worth the extra calories and it was super nice to get out with friends.  I also stayed out too late and ended up sleeping in so I missed the chance to get my exercise in.  It is way too hot here in Texas to get out and exercise past 8 am unless you can exercise indoors. 

This morning I made a chocolate smoothie for breakfast.  I bought a package of chocolate smoothie mix from the WW meeting.  If you mix it with water it is worth 2 pts and if you mix it with a cup of fat free milk then it is 4 pts.  I chose to do it with milk since it was my breakfast.  I mixed the milk and packet first so the powder dissolved then I added a few frozen strawberries and ice.  I blended it in my blender and it was YUMMY!!  And it took me about an hour to finish it all.  It filled a very tall glass.  I can definitely see that as a staple for my busy mornings. 

Next week is the start of school.  My oldest is starting kindergarten and he has to be at school by about 7:20.  That is freaking early for my house.  My kids usually sleep in until 8ish so the thought of having everyone up and dressed, fed and out the door at 7 terrifies me.  I have a friend that suggested making egg "muffins" and freeze them.  Then all you need to do is reheat them in the oven in the morning.  So, I figured I would give them a shot.  I combined a dozen eggs (minus 1 yolk...I cracked it and it was bloody...YUCK!!), about 5 oz shredded cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup milk, and 1 pound cooked sausage.  I poured them into greased muffin pans and cooked them for about 17 minutes at 350 degrees.  They turned out pretty tasty.  I calculated the points for me and they are 3 pts each.  If you add more veggies you could really have more for the same amount of pts since they would make more.  I might try adding spinach, onions, bell peppers.  I figure they will be really good on an English muffin.  The boys will love them in the morning just plain.

Hoping to get a good "before" picture taken this week.  Is ther such a thing a good "before" picture??? lol  I usually try to hind behind the camera and absolutely hate pictures taken of me.  So I know that if I don't purposely take a picture I will have a hard time finding a "before" picture.  I like the idea of taking weekly pictures in the same outfit.  Kinda reminds me of pregnancy pictures... It will be nice to look back and  truly see the progress.

Pinterest

Anyone follow Pinterest??  It is my newest addiction.  I have now decorated my future house, found new places I want to travel, clothes I NEED to buy, and recipes that look delish!!!  It is such a fun site!  Here is their official about us site: About Pinterest.  It says,

Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes.

Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests.

A couple of the boards I have are Healthy Mind, Body and Soul.  I post quotes, pictures, helpful advice and etc to help me remember why I need to lose weight and be healthy.  It provides me with inspiration. 

I also have a board dedicated to recipes that I want to try.  There are definitely some unhealthy ones but some healthy ones in there too.  I'm going to make it a goal to try to make new dishes every week and post pictures along with their recipe on here.  I have found some that look super yummy!  You can follow the food/recipes in my Mmmmmm board.  I have a few others for freezer cooking and crock pot cooking.  With a family of 5 I need to try freezer cooking and I LOVE my crockpot!!

Gettin' Our Skinny Back

Welcome to Kristie, Heather, and Joy's new journey of Gettin' Our Skinny Back! We are three moms with 9 kids between the two of us all 5 years and younger. We have been talking back and forth with each other for over a year about our weight loss struggles and after all is said and done we are both where we were a year ago. We are hoping this blog will help keep us accountable to each other and then maybe others will find helpful information along the way, or better yet share their helpful information with us.

A little bit about each of us:

Heather:
I am a mom to 3 small boys... Liam (1-about to be 2), Preston (3) and Carter (5). I have always been a pretty petite girl (I'm 4'11") but with muscles. I never had to worry about my weight or what I ate. That was nice growing up but not so nice once I started college. I think instead of the freshman 15, I gained the freshman 30. Then came the babies. I took the "you have to eat for two" very literal and I think I actually ate for at least 3. My mom told me with all 3 of my pregnancies, "you're going to regret that once the baby is born." And you know what? I don't!! I enjoyed every little bite of food I ate when I was pregnant. I mean that is the one time in your life that no one really notices that you just ate a whole pizza and half-gallon of ice cream. However, now after 3 babies and my youngest is about to turn 2, I still haven't lost the weight. I have lost some weight but then I gain it back. Oh, also add to that after I had my youngest I ended up having back surgery. So, my workouts have been almost obsolete. So here I am in my thirties and determined to get my body and health back. I know I want to look good and wear clothes that make me look good but most importantly I want to be healthy. I want my boys to grow up with a healthy lifestyle and outlook on life. In a society monopolized by convenience food I want my kids to know that there are healthy, good foods out there. We only have one body so we better take care of it the best we can.

Kristie: 
Hi, I'm Kristie.  I have two children, Cutter and Gracie.  I have been married to my wonderful husband, Greg, almost 6 years!  My career as a flight attendant has lasted almost 10 years and is still going strong.  I started gaining all my weight right out of high school.  With the stresses of college, my parents divorce and living on my own all on my shoulders the freshman 15 was really the freshman 30!  I met Greg and my weight really climbed  then, the comfort of knowing that someone will love you whether you are short, fat, tall or skinny is the worst for someone like me who is short!  We ate out A LOT, enjoyed getting to know each other over food was one of the things we did most.  I love him to pieces, don't know where I would be without him.  He certainly didn't make me fat, but he's part of my problem!  He doesn't think I look bad, so I have a hard time telling myself that I am fat, but I am, and I have come to the conclusion that I need to lose this weight!!  Thanks for encouraging me when I need it most, it will help more than you will ever know!

Joy:

Weight Watchers

Last week I joined Weight Watchers.  I lost approximately 30 pounds in 2007 while going to the Weight Watcher meetings.  I stopped going once I got pregnant with Preston, my 3 year old.  After I had Preston I figured I could get back on track without going to the meetings. However, as soon as I started working out with a personal trainer and dieting I became pregnant with my almost 2 year old, Liam.  I still haven't managed to lose weight and keep it off since having Liam.  My doctor has been urging me to join Weight Watchers again and actually go to the meetings.  So, I did just that.  I went to my first meeting last Monday on August 8th.  I fought to hold back tears throughout the whole meeting.  I know I'm not alone in this and everyone in that room understands what I'm going through but I just have a hard time believing that I let myself get to this point. 

I go to another meeting this afternoon and I'm feeling pretty good about it.  I had a few slips this weekend but nothing too terrible.  I started tracking all of my food and that really helps me stay on track.  I will update after my weigh in!  Wish me luck!!