Weekly Weigh-In {September 29, 2011}

I gained 1.2 pounds today. I'm not surprised as we've eaten out A LOT this week. I also just had 2 weeks of consistently losing 2 pounds so it still averages out. That's not to say I'm not a little bit disappointed though. My goal next week is to get the scale to go down and get another 5 pound star which would make me reach my 5% goal too!!

I have to brag a little on Kristie! She is doing so great! I will let her post about her week but I'm super proud of her. It is so cool to see the excitement in her eyes and very inspiring to me. This is not an easy nor fast journey but it's awesome to have a friend right by your side!! Love ya, Friend!!

~Heather

Avoidance

Avoidance...it's what I've been doing lately.  You can tell by my lack of blogging.  I've been avoiding this whole new lifestyle.  I've been watching what I've been eating but that's about it.  I have known that I haven't walked in a while and I have quickly changed the subject when my husband has asked about it.  I have not pulled out my sticker chart because I know what it will tell me.  I think, "What's the point of looking at it? I haven't put a sticker on there in over a week...."  Well, I can't avoid it.  This is my life.  I can't avoid life.  I can't avoid the fact that I have people noticing I'm not blogging.  I can't avoid I am committed to running a 5k in 2 months.  It has been exactly 2 weeks since I've walked.  (besides running the Jailbreak with friends...but I guess that does count because that was some hard work!)

So, I'm back.  It's time to pick up where I left off!  It's time to add stickers to my chart.  (lol, I love how that so sounds like I'm 5!!)

~Heather

Quick Check In

I have spent way too much time away from this blog!!  I hope to steal enough time away this evening or tomorrow to fully update but here is a quick recap of the last two weeks...

Lost 2 pounds!
Ran the Jailbreak with Kristie and a group of friends!
Lost another 2 pounds!!

Total lbs lost... 8.6!!  Woohoo!!!

~Heather

Weekly Weigh-In {September 22, 2011}

This weeks weekly weigh-in is in the books!  Another ONE pound down!! WOO HOO!

Slow and Steady wins the race!!

~Kristie

JailBreak 2011

On Friday, Heather text me and asked if I wanted to join her and 7 other friends at a mud race called "Jail Break".  Without hesitation I said YES!  Now mind you I had NO preparation for this, I had no clue what I was getting myself into, but I am soooo glad I said yes!  Heather picked me up at 6:30 and I had a nervous feeling all the way up till we crossed the start line!

The obstacles are what made me the most nervous!  I was worried I wouldn't be able to do them, especially since I hadn't done anything to prepare, but once I got out there, the adrenaline got me through them.  The hardest was a slippery, slippery slope that you had to use a rope to get up.  It required a LOT of upper body strength and I tried several times before FINALLY getting up!  After that my energy was zapped, but I found enough strength to get through it.

photo courtesy of Dwayne Master's Photography

After crossing the finish line, we were all super pumped!!  This was the first time in my life, that I can remember crossing a "Finish" line!  I've crossed the start line before, but never a "finish" line and I feel so confident that it was my first but NOT my last!!!

~Kristie

If only I'd known back then...

If only I knew back then what I know now, I would have appreciated the figure I once had!!  I'm on a mission to get close!  I will...with time!   

~Kristie 

Weekly Weigh-In {September 15, 2011}

Yay!!!!!  I lost 

2.4 lbs!!!

Much better than last week!

~Kristie

Holy Pinterest, Batman!

Ok, this doesn't have much to do with my personal weightloss or journey to healthy but I just saw a picture from our blog on Pinterest from a COMPLETE STRANGER!!!  That is super cool!!  It was from my post about the sticker chart I use to track exercise.  Granted, I'm the original "pinner" but it reached someone some how!!  So, if you are new to our blog, WELCOME!!! 

~Heather

Unexpected Encouragement

My oldest, Carter, started Kindergarten a few weeks ago.  It has been a huge adjustment for everyone.  He has to be at school by 7:20 and it is late by 7:30.  For anyone that knows me or my family, we are not morning people.  Night owls, yes, morning people, no.  It's been hard trying to figure out how/when to get my run/walks in. 

This week I started dropping Carter off and then coming home and heading out for a quick workout and then dash home and get the other two kids to preschool at 9.  It's actually extremely hectic but at the end of the day, I got my work out in and the kids got to school. 

Carter has been begging and pleading for me to walk him to school.  We live just over a mile from his school.  And we would have to leave our house around 6:45 AM to get there in time.  Well, I gave in yesterday.  He did surprisingly well.  We made in 28 minutes and only a few complaints.  His complaints quickly went away when I reminded him he begged to do this.  It was a great transition for me into my daily walk/run.  It worked out perfect.

He wanted to do it again today but instead of a 28 min mile we made it in 25 minutes!  Woohoo!!  He was cold so I told him to run.  He would run until the next street and wait for me to cross the street.  It worked out perfectly.  I didn't have to slow down my regular pace too much and he got lots of exercise.

It's funny, I was totally going to take the day off today and give my body a small rest day but how can I tell my boy no when he wants to go out and walk.  And how can I just leisurely walk back home after already being out?  So, for this week I already have 5 stickers on my sticker chart.  I only have taken Monday off so looks like I'm going to take tomorrow off to rest. 

I will say the more you exercise the easier it is.  The easier it is to get out there and move.  The hardest part is just getting started.  As cliche as that sounds, it is very true.  I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!!!  I'm excited to spend the weekend with some of my closest friends!!

~Heather

Weekly Weigh-In and a swift kick in the...{September 9, 2011}

I have no excuses!  I gained .04 lbs this week at the weigh-in!  I'm so mad at myself, but I have no excuses why!

I've got new shoes, so my feet shouldn't hurt.

I've been on reserve, and not used, so I have the time.

I've been drinking tea, sweet tea, I've told myself 'at least it isn't coke', which is true, but still the sugar is killing my weight loss goal!  No more sugar!

This weigh-in was the swift kick in the arse that I needed!  Tomorrow NO EXCUSES!  My alarm is set to get up and enjoy this beautiful weather!!

NO EXCUSES! NO EXCUSES! NO EXCUSES!

-Kristie

Weekly Weigh In & Other Ramblings {September 8th, 2011}

My weigh in today was not good.  Not good at all.  I GAINED!!!  {insert very unhappy face, hands on hip, and stomping my foot on the ground here}  I gained 0.6 pounds.  I know it's not the end of the world and I think a lot of it is water weight as my monthly friend is here this week.  But still, I want to pout.  I've worked really hard this past week and have really been exercising more.  Sigh... just a bump on this long journey.

I am having some friends over this weekend and really going to try to be smart in how I eat.  We are having an appetizer party, so trying to make all finger foods.  It is going to be very easy to just keep snacking but I have to have will power.  I WILL have will power!!  I have been banking all of my activity points though and hoping that will help.

I did get some unexpected (negative) motivation today.  I had a new housekeeper come by my house to give me a quote for cleaning my house.  So, she came by and commented on how cute my 3 boys are.  She commented on how all three of them are boys.  Then she pointed at my tummy and asked if I was having another one.  Ugggg  I politely said no and started showing her around my tiny house.  How come even though you know you are over weight and don't look very good, it still stings super bad when someone thinks you are pregnant??????  I blew it off until now.  Now that I'm writing it out and really thinking about it the more it brings tears to my eyes.  I generally gain weight pretty proportionately throughout my whole body but for some reason over the past year my weight has shifted to make me look pregnant.  Maybe it's what I'm wearing??  Maybe it's because I had 3 kids within 3 years? I don't know but it sucks.

My mantra for the next week:

Discipline is remembering what you want.  ~David Campbell

When I'm faced with temptation, I need to remember what I want in the end.  I need to ask myself if giving in is worth not reaching my goal.

~Heather

Learning to eat healthy

Learning to eat healthy is tricky!!  I could eat only fruits and veggies, that's not hard, but once I started to eat all the other things again I'd be right back where I started.  Today for lunch my hubby, Greg, wanted hot dogs, I thought they sounded good, but once I look them up on my WW app, I knew I couldn't eat one.  The hot dog bun alone was 4 points, plus add the actual hot dog (3 points) and the chili (2) and the cheese (2), that comes out to ELEVEN points just for one chili dog!!  I debated about just eating a salad, I had the stuff to make a great one, but I want to learn to eat the things I love, just in a different way.  So I looked up how many points a turkey dog would be - score one for me a, 98% fat free turkey dog was ONE point!!  And I ate it with no bun, minimal chili and a pinch of cheese and I was able to eat a hot dog for 3 points!

Greg and I went out for a date night on Saturday night (yay!), we love Mexican, so we chose Posados for dinner.  Once again, I was worried that I wasn't going to be able to eat the things I love, so as we drove over there I looked over the WW app to see what would be the best thing to eat.  I decided that I would be able to have a fajita or two and a few chips and salsa all for about 16 points!  That may sound like a lot, but I decided I would splurge and use some of my 49 weekly allowance and give myself some slack.  I also knew that we would be going to see a movie afterwards, so I wanted to save some of my points for that.  All in all, I used 25 points for my date night.

Learning to eat healthy takes time and knowledge and I'm getting there, one step at a time.  Portion control is also a big thing to watch for.  Before I started this life change, I would have probably eaten a basket or two of chips, but this time I paced myself, watched how many I was eating and when we left I felt like I had satisfied my craving for chips and salsa, all without feeling stuffed and bloated!

~Kristie

ps - "The Help" is both a GREAT book and a good movie!!

Weekly Weigh In {September 1, 2011}

I lost another 0.6 lbs!  Woohooo!!!   Which means I have now lost 5 pounds total.  In WW you get rewarded with star stickers for every 5 pounds you lose.  And you know how much I love my stickers!!!  I put that baby in my little book that they record the weigh ins.  I wish I had lost slightly more but I'm very thankful the number is going down.  That is the most important thing.

At the meeting, one of the ladies had reached her goal weight.  That is such a huge accomplishment.  She was very inspiring and she looked to be close in my age.  She said she lost 60 pounds (the same amount I want to loose) in about a year.  The leader, Vicki, asked if she would share any tips and how she felt.  Her main piece of advice was that you really have to want it for you.  Your heart and mind both have to want it.  She said her parents are divorced and her dad is a very active, outgoing, energetic man full of life.  Her mom used to be athletic but has since let herself go...eats unhealthy, doesn't get out, doesn't exercise, depressed and etc.  She said that one morning she woke up and realized she had a choice to make.  She could either be like her dad or like her mom.  She chose to be like her dad.  Another good point she brought up was the power of the word no.  She loves going out with friends for drinks and dinner but has learned that she can't always go.  She had to determine what she wanted more.

I hope know I have what it takes to stand up  there a year from now and tell my story of how I reached my goal and how great it feels!

Also, it is WONDERFUL to have Kristie and my mom there at the meetings.  I love the friendship Kristie and I are forming and well, my mom is my best friend so it's always good to be with her.

~Heather

Weekly Weigh-in {September 1}

I went to my weekly weigh in this week - down 

1.6 pounds!!

I didn't get much out of the meeting since I experimented with taking Gracie, but it was nice to see Heather and her mom there!  I can't wait to see where this journey leads us!

~Kristie