Tuesday, December 15, 2009

It's Almost My New Life Birthday!!



Meet the old me. The above pictures are from the summer of 08' and then Halloween 08'. Believe it! It's me! I weighed about 180 lbs. at this point and was wearing a size 16. Many of you know my story and why I started the Skinny Mom Challenge. For those of you who don't know, I was a mom of four children who had given up on my life at one point. I was a binge eater, I was depressed and I was fat. Somewhere along the way I stopped living my life and started taking care of everyone else and going through the motions to get me through the day. I became overweight over a period of 4 years. It didn't happen overnight it gradually occurred and along the way I knew it was happening but I kept putting off doing anything to prevent it from going further. This picture is 2 days before my "new life" began and on my husbands birthday, January 10, 2009. I weighed 178 pounds at this point. I started Skinny Moms after I lost all of my weight. It took me from January 12, 2009 to August 2009 to reach my goal. I had a lot of friends and family approach me wanting help with their weight loss goals. I wanted to put together a group for women to feel encouraged, empowered and I wanted to help hold them accountable during their weight loss journey so Skinny Mom Challenge was hatched. I am the cheering squad for my challengers and I cheer during their progress and I encourage them when they feel like giving up. I have met a lot of strong women and great friends during these challenges, women who have inspired me and keep me motivated. I have pushed many of them past anything they ever thought they could accomplish. In doing this I have decided to become a personal trainer and I am going to school to become a Nutritionist.

I am a much happier person and soon I will be celebrating my "New Life Birthday"! January 12, 2010 will mark my 1 year anniversary since I began my own journey to lose weight and I have become a much happier and healthier person both physically and mentally.
This picture is of me and my husband one month to the day from my one year birthday! I am so much happier and I want to thank all of you who gave me support and encouraged me. I want to think my family for not giving up on me and for Ed for really encouraging me and telling me he could see a difference especially when I couldn't. I really enjoy working with all of you challengers and I look forward to many more challenges to come. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you Skinny Moms! Thanks for believing in me and following me. Remember as Ali Vincent (First female Biggest Loser winner) says; "Believe It, Be It"!
Sincerely,
Jennifer Sherlock

Monday, December 14, 2009

Finding the Courage



Here is a wonderful success story by Lauri one of our Skinny Moms! If you want to share your successes please email me.


Before

When I was in high school I was always athletic and never worried about what I ate or drank. I was on the go all the time, so fast food became a way of life. My first year of college while most people gain weight I stayed pretty slim and maintained the same weight that I was in high school...I kept the same eating habits, which weren't good. Fast food at least once a day and the other stuff just junk like chips, sodas, candy, etc. Dorm food!

I met my husband and had a baby and packed on a ton of weight. I was 123 lbs when I got pregnant with Cole, and was 193 lbs when he was born. He had a rough time and I was stressed so I managed to get down to about 150 lbs pretty quick after he was born, but my eating was terrible. I would eat late at night and I would eat out every single day usually for breakfast and lunch! About 9 months after Cole was born, I got pregnant with my second child, Belle. Again, I ballooned up to about 210 lbs when I delivered her and I was so big they did 3 ultrasounds just to make sure I wasn't having twins (how embarrassing!!!). At this point I was going crazy trying all kinds of crash diets trying to lose the weight I had packed on, but nothing was working.

My marriage was not going as planned and so I think I just ate to comfort myself! I lost some weight when I would get stressed, but gained it right back. Finally, after calling my first marriage quits, I decided to lose a little weight. By this time I was about 190 lbs! Still way over what I should have weighed. I started dating my current husband and he had lost a ton of weight and he and my mom had even bought me a gym membership to trial, but I was too lazy to go and came up with a million excuses not to go. When Rodney asked me to marry him, we knew we wanted a beach wedding and I didn't want to be embarrassed in a swimsuit, so I tried dieting and going to some exercise classes and lost about 25 lbs. By that time (late 2006-early 2007) I was about 165 lbs. After we got married in February, I gained back all that I had lost and maintained a constant 185-190 lbs.

I was so embarrassed to even go to the doctor because I just couldn't keep the weight off. Finally, fed up with myself, I asked for help from one of the ladies I work with. In January, 2009, I weighed 189 lbs and decided I had had enough! We started a competition at work to lose some weight but we had to do it healthy. She taught us how to eat the right portions and to count calories. She gave us hints for snacks and dinners and how to order out at a restaurant. Slowly, the weight was coming off. The first week, I lost 6.5 lbs and felt great! I felt like I could really do it if I put my mind to it and that was my first real effort to lose weight the right way. By April, I had lost about 20 lbs and it was warmer so I added walking to my daily things to do. I started just walking around the block, but within two weeks I was walking about 3 miles a day. By this point it was a consistent 2 pound per week weight loss.

We started a second challenge at work and I won!!! I also joined the Skinny Mom Challenge as a second challenge to myself! I had lost some serious weight and felt great. I even went out and bought a new wardrobe. I looked and felt better than I had in years!!! I was a size 10 at that point and was thinking to myself, "You won't get any smaller than this, so just be content!" I was so wrong! I kept up with my calorie counting and every time I went to eat with my family I would plan ahead and know exactly what to order! I even got my kids eating healthier like getting the apples instead of fries and chicken instead of the other meats!

Since this past January I have lost a total of almost 52 lbs. All by just getting off the couch and making an effort to change the way I thought about food. It is your bodies’ fuel! I don't use it as a crutch and I don't starve myself, I just make healthier choices and watch my portions. I also cut out ALL soda (even diet)! I drink lots and lots of water and unsweet tea and eat lots of nuts, almonds, berries, apples, veggies, etc. I also count calories and maintain my count so I know exactly what and how many I have to spare. I now belong to a gym where I try to go 3-5 days a week AND I work out at home with my Wii fit! The Skinny Mom Challenge has also helped me to hold myself accountable. When you are held accountable you seem to make better choices!! I love the feel of walking in the sunshine and going to an exercise class and how your adrenaline gets going! It is amazing to think that I weigh what I did in high school, only now I am actually healthy and eating the right things for me!

The most important thing to know is that anyone can do this!! I never thought I would wear a size 6 again (I didn't even wear a size 6 in high school!!!!!), but now I look and feel a thousand times better than I did a year ago. This is a life change so make the leap! It's well worth it!!!!!

Lauri

Success!


Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Tired of Plateaus?



I am finding many of the challengers are hitting plateaus during this challenge. Here is a way to really jump start your metabolism and this will eliminate the feelings of starvation at the end of the day. If you feel sluggish in the evening or if you find yourself very hungry while you are fixing dinner then you are not eating like you should during your day.




It is important to first start your morning with (2) 8 oz. classes of water because over the 7-8 hours of sleep you become dehydrated. Drinking water will jump start your metabolism first thing in the morning and hydrate your body. Think of your metabolism as a wood burning stove, if you don't put wood in the stove during the night your house is cold in the morning. You need to throw a lot of wood in the stove and keep it fueled throughout the day. Your body needs food throughout the day so don't starve yourself. Skipping meals will actually do more damage to your metabolism and you will have a much harder time losing weight.
Once you have your metabolism started you need to eat a filling breakfast. I start my morning off with 1/2 cup dry oatmeal (cooked = 1 cup), 2 tbsp. of Stoneyfield French Vanilla yogurt added to the cooked oatmeal, along with blueberries, raspberries, bananas or apples. I also eat scrambled eggs (1) egg white and (1) whole egg and a bottle of water or 1 cup of hot green tea. This is a very filling breakfast and you want to consume most of your calories during the morning and by lunch time. You do not want to feel like you are starving at any time during the day. When you get the first signs of hunger eat!
As you can see in the picture below here are several snack ideas. Kashi bars, oranges, Hummus with vegetables, Ezekiel bread with almond butter or natural peanut butter. Another snack idea is a protein shake especially if you had a hard workout. Your goal should be to eat at least every two hours or 6 times a day. I mean eat "Clean" when I say eat. You do not want to consume empty calories and waste your calories on food high in sugar. Sugar will give you a rush but once it wears off you will crash hard. Listen to your body, drink a lot of water to keep yourself hydrated. Sometimes you can misread what you body is really telling you and think you are hungry when actually you are just dehydrated and need something to drink.


If you change the way you eat and stick to your daily workouts, I believe you can make a change and knock that plateau out. A plateau occurs because your body is used to the things you are doing and it needs a change to restart the program. When you plateau for more than three weeks then it's time for changes.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Healthy Lunch Idea for Kids

Do you struggle with healthy lunch ideas for your children? Here is a great and yummy lunch or snack idea.

My children love these Flat Bread Banana Wraps and they are quick and easy to make.

Ingredients;
Flat Out Bread - Meijer located in the produce department
Organic Natural Peanut Butter
Honey
Sliced Almonds
1 Small Banana
Cinnamon

Spread the peanut butter, honey and cinnamon on one flat bread. Add 1tsp. of sliced almonds and wrap the banana.










For a healthy lunch add applesauce, Stoneyfield yo baby yogurt and a Capri Sun Roarin Waters drink or water.




















Monday, November 30, 2009

A Plan for Victory

Today I heard a great quote and I wanted to share it with you. "You can either get busy living, or get busy dying." What do I mean by get busy? Here are a few things to help you get busy and once you have accomplished these things you are well on your way to a healthy life.

Find an Accountability Partner
This is someone who is walking the same path you are walking right now. Before you consider this person make sure you are picking the right partner for you. Your partner needs to be fully committed to losing weight just like you. You want someone with a good attitude and someone who will encourage you when you are ready to give up. You must be the same type of partner to them. Remember to keep positive and don't say "if" I lose the weight but rather "when" I lose the weight.

You will need to give up the following things during your journey to becoming a healthier person.

White Sugar
I know... suck it up! Everyone loves sugar and you still have to give it up. Here are the reasons why; do you know the reaction cars have when sugar is put into the gas tank? The engine will die. Well guess what your body reacts the same way over time you are killing yourself with sugar, think diabetes for an example. Sugar needs to be marked "legal drug" because it is addicting, alcohol is sugar and this is what alcoholics are addicted to. When you give up sugar your body will go through a detox period and you will feel horrible and have withdrawal symptoms much like an alcoholic. God created natural forms of sugar in raw fruits, raw vegetables, honey and molasses. This wasn't good enough for man so they had to "enhance" the sugar by using fourteen steps to process sugarcane and sugar beets to make sucrose. "Sugar has been known to contribute to depression, fatigue, irritability, hypoglycemia, diabetes, hyperactivity, and violent outrages." Sugar Blues by William Duffy

Artificial Sweeteners
Why eliminate this? Because well they are artificial! "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." (Galatians 6:7) We are reaping the effects of poor nutrition, lack of exercise, sleep deprivation, and ignorance. The food industry makes billions of dollars every year from our ignorance. Foods that are labeled fat free, sugar free, and artificial flavor are some examples of the marketers making us feel safe. You would be safer to eat the packaging rather than the artificial sweeteners.

White Flour
Food manufacturers are stealing the nutrients from brown whole grain, they remove all of the wheat germ and bran, and they bleach it white with chemicals kind of like Clorox bleach. Then the kicker is they sell you the wheat germ and bran back to us as "health food." If a package says bleached or enriched put it down and run the other direction.

White Potato, White Rice, and CORN
If you haven't watched the movie Food, Inc., I really encourage you to head to your nearest movie store and rent it. You will be amazed at the fact that corn is in everything. I mean everything, Motrin, Pampers, all soft drinks, all food in boxes, about the only place you are safe from corn is in the produce department unless you are buying corn of course. Corn, potatoes and rice are carbohydrates that turn into sugar quickly in the body and this will make you tired and overweight. To be healthy you need to stick to raw fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and low-fat complex carbohydrates.

Fake Foods
What are fake foods? Anything with white sugar, bleached flour, soft drinks, boxed items and some canned items minus vegetables. I know you are wasting your money if you emptying out your cabinets from all of your "Fake" food. Guess what if you keep eating those foods you will spend even more money on your health. Don't announce to your children you are getting rid of all the "Fake" food or even your husband for that matter. I think husbands throw an even bigger fit than the kids. Introduce foods slowly to the family and over time they will come around. This isn't a diet it's a new way of life. Once you have been rid of the "Fake" food in a few weeks you will feel better than you have in a long time.

Stop Eating after 7:00
It's better to eat your calories during the morning and by lunch time. This way you are not trying to make your body digest a lot of food at night when you tend to be sitting around or better yet sleeping. The body cannot possibly digest a lot of food at night and you will probably get a better night sleep if you don't eat after 7:00. If you are really hungry try a hard boiled egg and a sliced apple.

If you follow these tips you will be well on your way to making changes. You will notice a difference and probably some weight loss within the first week to two weeks by using these tips. Follow me and I will lead you to the finish. Dream big and pray hard for strength to keep you on the right path. Losing weight is a mental challenge and if you can overcome all the mental obstacles you will lose the weight. -

Monday, November 23, 2009

You Are Not Alone


Two people are better than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NLT


During this challenge I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and make friends with other challengers. Everyone is going through the same things you are going through. Don't suffer by yourself, instead find a partner during your journey someone to be your cheerleader and you be their cheerleader. The reason most of us became overweight is because we chose to stay isolated from our friends and family and thought we could handle everything on our own. Well you see where that got us.


Don't let your mind separate you from other people during this time. Encourage others and you too will be encouraged. Have the courage to conquer your fears and reach out to others and they will do the same to you.


During the holiday season this is a very tough time for many people, due to stress over money during the holidays and some people have lost their jobs. Focus on things to be thankful for, your goals, and do not let stress bring you down during this time of the year. Do not fall back into bad habits, now more than ever you need support and encouragement from others.


Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. Proverbs 11:25 NLT

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Dream Boards



Making a dream board is a great way to stay motivated during your challenge. Here is an example of Kerri's dream refrigerator, Kerri is a mom of two little girls, she has completed two challenges and just started her third challenge.

Here's what Kerri's dream board consists of and what it is in her own words.

Top 10 Bikini Bodies-because one of my big goals is to look hot in my bikini again
My favorite inspirational quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us" I AM strong, I CAN do this, and no difficult task lasts forever!
My very first before picture and my most recent after picture-I've made this much progress...why stop now???
Pictures of me before I got pregnant with baby #2-I was comfortable in my own skin then and I felt great!
Reasons to keep going: I'm getting healthier, I'm setting a good example for my kids, how great I feel after a workout, etc.
Motivational quotes from real people in my life that prove I'm working toward my goal. They can see it, too!
My "inspirational" card from you after the 1st challenge.
A run-down of when I should eat and some ideas for quick meals in case I'm in a hurry. Also, ways to save on calories.
Some strength exercises. These are handy when I'm waiting for lunch or dinner to get done-I can get in some strength while I wait!
My Ritter's magnet. I've written on it "Just say no!" Ice cream is my weakness, so I chose my favorite kind and looked up all the terrible nutritional info on it and posted that, too.
Dead center: my goal sheet! I see it everyday (several times a day) so I am reminded that I'm always working toward my goals. I also keep track of how many times I work out each week on there.

Kerri said it so well. This board has a lot of meaning for her and yours should too. If you are really passionate about making changes in your life and really reaching your goals a dream board will be a great tool. A dream board is very encouraging, inspiring and a great motivator. It's important to set goals and to see your goals daily. People who set goals are far more likely to reach their goals. Setting goals will help you achieve your weight loss and seeing them daily will help you continually work towards those goals. When you see your dream board it will help you stay motivated and keeps you accountable. I loved Kerri's idea to use the refrigerator because when she's making meals for her family she can see what her ultimate goal is and it also helps her refrain from getting into the refrigerator for unhealthy foods or just simply overeating.

If you have a dream board you would like to share please send me a picture, I would love to feature your ideas on the blog or our Skinny Mom Group Page. If you have other ideas I would love to hear them. Send you ideas or pictures to skinnymomschallenge@yahoo.com

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Thanksgiving Thanks

It's November and a time to be thankful. What are you thankful for in your life? Email me at skinnymomschallenge@yahoo.com or reply to this posting.

I am thankful for my family and children's health.

I am thankful for God giving me a second chance at life.

I am thankful for the many wonderful women I have become great friends with during our challenges.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Where is Your Time Going?


There are so many complaints about lack of time to exercise and with technology today like; cell phones, email, and social networking sites it's no wonder. During this second challenge I have heard more complaints about lack of time. How many of you spend time texting and better yet how many of you spend an hour or better on the computer logged into your email, Facebook and MySpace? If the computer isn't eating up your time you need to evaluate your situation and find out what is causing you to waste time.


If you have an hour to surf the net then why can't you find an hour to take care of yourself? Figure out what is more important, your health or your social statues on the Internet. Are you really miserable with your weight and do you want to do something about it, or are you just looking for something to whine about? Do you really lack time or do you just lack the discipline to manage your time efficiently?


There are 24 hours in a day and I think GOD did a good job with the amount of time he allocated for a day. You must decided what is more important. Are you happy with yourself? Do you look in the mirror and complain about what you see because you are 20, 30, 40 plus pounds overweight? Do you enjoy shopping for clothes right now or do you avoid the stores at all cost? It's time to focus on the task at hand and that is sit down and write out a schedule. Yes, you can still pencil in time to play on the computer but you need to mark in pen the times you will workout. You need to acknowledge how much time you are wasting each and every day on the computer. How much time are you wasting when you are sitting in a waiting room at the doctors office or waiting in line to pick up your children from school. You are wasting time that you could be using to make yourself a healthier person.


Stop complaining about lack of time, responsibilities, and kids. When the real reason you are not exercising is because you've found another excuse.


I am challenging you to let the mouse go. Put down the cell phone and get your butt in gear. You have one week to finish up this challenge and you need to make it count. Can you do it? Yes, I know you can because I have seen the changes you have made. If you are currently working out but you are not feeling like you are getting a good workout then it's time to step it up, add more weights, add more time and most of all put in 110%.


Here are some tips to manage your time more effectively.


Plan Ahead; Make a schedule and stick to it as best you can. Prepare dinners on Sunday for the following week. Prepare your lunches and snacks ahead of time so all you need to do is grab them from the refrigerator and go.


Don't Waste Waiting Time; If you are on hold or waiting in a doctors office, make use of your time. Write out a grocery list, make out a weekly menu, go through your calendar and plan your workouts for the next week and complete other small tasks.


Stock Up; Buy extras of items like postage stamps, non perishable food items, greeting cards, and paper products. You can avoid several trips to the store or to the post office.


Have a System; Store all of the kids backpacks, lunch boxes, and coats in a central location instead of all over the house. Use post-it-notes on the bathroom mirrors to remind yourself and your children of schedules or items you might need to take to work or school. Post a dry erase board and a dry erase calendar by the door or in a location you will see it daily. Post schedules and write reminders so everyone in the house knows what is going on for the week.


Multi-Task; When at all possible schedule all appointments on one day and schedule appointments for first thing in the morning or directly after lunch. When giving your children a bath sit in the floor and grade homework, sign any necessary paperwork for school, write out bills, and balance your check book. If you don't want to do that groom yourself by taking nail polish off as you are waiting, brush your teeth, wash your face, and do a mask. There are several things you can do while your keeping an eye on your children.


Don't be a Perfectionist!


Learn to Say No; This is by far I think the most important. As a former co-dependent I understand what it is like to always want to take care of everyone and make sure their needs are all met and forget my own. I used to be a co-dependent until I realized noone was taking care of me and of course with a little help from the book Co-Dependent No More. If you can't say no then say not now.


You can't manage time and you can't make a clock stand still but you can manage yourself. Try some of these tips and hopefully you will free up 20-60 minutes in order to take care of you.








Monday, October 26, 2009

A Little Confidence Goes A Long Way

How do you gain confidence? Confidence is really what you think of yourself. If you think badly of yourself then you feel like everyone else looks at you the same way. The mind is a big reason people become overweight. In order for you to work on your confidence the first thing you must do is lover yourself and become the best person you can be.

Take a challenge, set small goals, along with with big goals and watch your confidence grow as you achieve your goals and beat your challenges. The Skinny Mom Challenge, challenges you to make better choices and change your food intake and the big challenge is to incorporate exercise into your day to day life. There are so many advertisements for quick weight loss and yet they fail time and time again. Why not find something to challenge you? When you begin to reach your goals and step out of your comfort zone you will be surprised at how much confidence you will gain.

How do you get started building your confidence? Here are some things you can do; first begin an exercise program at home. Don't be ashamed to workout in front of your husband and your children. This is the first step to confidence. You may be surprised that if you stick with this for a few weeks your children or your husband may decide to join you. Once people take notice that you are trying to make a change in your life sometimes they will want to join you. Having family join you will bring your confidence up because you will realize you are helping others make a change in their life. Step out of your comfort zone and go to a community center to exercise or join an exercise class once or twice a week. Exercising outside of your home will begin to build confidence because you are stepping out of your comfort zone. This will also help you find other people who are having the same feelings you are having. Yes, there are others like you, scared to death but daring to try something new. Once you realize that you can make it through a class with other people, you will begin to feel more confident. Trust me, when you are in a class, nobody is paying attention to what you can or can't do. Everyone in the class is too busy focusing on what they are trying to do.

Being confident means you have to face your fears. You will cry, sweat, and fall flat on your face at times but knowing this and having the courage to get back up and do it again will build your confidence. Don't try to do everything alone or everything at once. Find a friend or even your spouse to join you on your road to a new you. Find someone in our Skinny Mom Challenge to become your workout partner or person to hold you accountable.

To become confident you need to find your purpose. What is your purpose? Find something you believe in and commit yourself to it. Set your goals and focus on achieving them, it's not how fast you lose weight it's the obstacles you climb and the goals you reach that will build your confidence and help you realize you can do anything!

Friday, October 16, 2009

Upcoming Meeting for New and Current Skinny Moms

Ladies I will be hosting an information and educational meeting regarding nutrition and exercise on November 1, 2009 at 1:00 p.m., at Donatos Pizza (Community Room) located at 980 N Morton St, Franklin, IN 46131-1373. I would suggest you eat a healthy meal at home before coming. I am not promoting in any way to eat pizza.

Many of you know that my favorite magazine is Oxygen. There is a special collector's addition out right now called Off the Couch! I really recommend you pick this issue up. There are several very inspirational stories in there and best of all they are featuring a Makeover Contest! You can win $ 1000 so if you want the details and you want to get a jump start on the Skinny Mom Challenge 3 then I suggest you head to the store and purchase this magazine quick!

Please RSVP for the meeting as soon as possible.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Are you Ready for Skinny Mom Challenge 3?

If you are interested and want to join the 3rd Challenge for the Skinny Moms please email me at skinnymomschallenge@yahoo.com I will need to hear from you by November 2, 2009 and I will then email you all the information you will need. The challenge begins November 9, 2009 and will run for 8 weeks.


Challenge 1 the total weight loss for 18 women was over 108 pounds.

Challenge 2 with 3 weeks left the group has lost 78 pounds and there are 17 active challengers.

You can also find the group on Facebook under Skinny Mom Challenge.

Dare to Take the Challenge! The Skinny Mom Challenge!

Monday, October 12, 2009

Focus on Goals

In order to lose weight you must set goals. Without goals this won't be a journey it will be a struggle and you will continually focus on the negative instead of the positives. This will cause you to give up again. You must set realistic goals too. You cannot expect to lose 25 pounds in 8 weeks because realistically you will end up gaining more weight back. Healthy weight loss is 1 -2 pounds per week and that's it. You need to also realize that your body weight changes several times throughout the month, you will see the scale go up 1-3 pounds in a day. This is not physically possible! What is it you ask? Well most of the time it is water, salt and a lot of hormones. You just need to realize that being a women we sometimes get the raw end of the deal. I'm kidding! Just realize that our bodies change a lot and your weight will fluctuate don't sweat it.

Instead of focusing on the number focus on goals. Here are a few examples of some goals you should be trying to achieve right now.

1. If your waist measures over 35 1/2 inches you have a much higher risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Set a goal to lose those inches and focus on getting below 35 1/2 inches try setting a goal for at least 30 inches to get you started.

2. Keep a calorie journal for 7 days. Can you set a 7 day goal? Sure you can! I hear a lot of my challengers say, "I just don't know what happened, I worked out really hard". Well maybe it was the food. Count your calories for a week and lets see what you might be doing wrong.

3. Set a goal to lose 5 -10 % of your weight. If you don't want to focus on the numbers on the scale focus on the percentages. Just remember if you have lost 2% great job! Think positive!

4. Eat breakfast every morning at least 1 hour after waking and drink two 8 oz. glasses of water. This should be your first little goal! You'll be amazed what your body will do if you just feed and re-hydrate it when you get up in the morning. I know, I know you say, "After I eat breakfast I'm always hungry." Really? You should be! It's because you have given your metabolism a jump start. At least 2 hours after eating breakfast eat a healthy snack, then 2 more hours eat lunch. You should be consuming most of your calories between breakfast, snack and lunch. Do not hold onto your calories till the end of the day and do not eat less calories then you need. Your body will keep all of your fat and eat up all of your muscles if you do this. Saving calories until the evening will cause you to graze and eat more calories then you are allowed. These calories will then be stored as fat. Focus on healthy breakfasts and lunches.

These are just a few simple goals you can set for yourself and achieve within the next 3 weeks. Focus on setting goals for the holidays. Just because it's the holidays doesn't mean you will need to go hog wild when you see all the wonderful food. Make healthy choices, use portion control, and most of all STOP eating when you feel full. Drink lots of water before you eat then you want tend to eat so much food.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

As many of you are aware October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Many of us have had a loved one or you may have been affected by breast cancer.



Last year I participated in my first Race for the Cure. I was on a team for a 28 year old mother of two who lives here in Franklin. Her name is Mandy and she was diagnosed with breast cancer. I really loved being able to participate and raise money. This was a very emotional and wonderful experience.



I have started a team Skinny Mom Challengers, for the next Race for the Cure on April 17, 2010. Please join our team and help raise money and come walk or run with us.



Go to http://www.komenindy.org/

Once you are here Click on the link that says Registration for the 2010 Race for the Cure. Then inside there look to your right where it says Join a Team click and scroll down enter our team name; Skinny Mom Challengers then you will be prompted to join the team.

If this doesn't work you can always contact me in the comments and I will send you an email to join the team.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Winter Blues and Plateaus

The dreaded cold weather season is fast upon us and if you're like me, you don't want to get out of bed in the morning, you feel really tired, and you lack energy. Is this you? Some of our challengers are beginning to hit plateaus. I believe this is because of the lack of motivation due to the change in the weather. Beat the blues and focus on burning off your energy or gaining energy for some by changing things up.

If you have hit a plateau, change things up a bit. Change your calories by shaving 200-300 calories off of your daily calorie intake for the next 7 days. This will make your body react. Also, change up your routine; change your workouts if you are doing the same workout over and over again your body gets used to the same thing and it will stop showing you results. I have started adding a lot of cardio to my daily workouts and I have even started doing two workouts a day. They might be 20 minutes one time and maybe 45 minutes the next but my body isn't used to two a days so it's catching on and making changes. I also started a jump rope exercise program. There are DVD's at Target called Rope Sport by Eric Neis. The first one should include the workout and two ropes, a weighted rope and a speed rope. The beginner is a fifteen minute workout and there is an instructional DVD to show you the different types of jump rope techniques. It's the fastest 15 minute workout ever! I did it twice just because I couldn't believe it was over so quick. Jumping rope is a great cardio workout as well as a total body workout.

Boxing is another great total body workout and requires great cardiovascular fitness as well. Grab a bag, some gloves, and spend an hour boxing. Do 3 minute drills and after every minute take a 30 second break, after the 3 minute drill (rounds) is up then do things like, 30 lunges, 30 sit ups and 10 push-ups, and continue on with your rounds. If you can't buy a bag find a partner and practice with each other. I'm not saying go all out and box I'm saying practice sparring against each other and working on various boxing moves. Before every boxing workout start by jumping rope. Boxers and kick boxers jump rope before every workout and sometimes in the middle of their workouts. At my kickboxing club we jump rope every time before any workout just to get the blood flowing and warm up. You can pick up boxing gloves at Dick's Sporting Goods or go online to Amazon.com and you can find expensive gloves. Maybe purchase some focus mitts for your partner to wear as you box.

If you want a great workout click on the link regarding kickboxing and check it out. You can make changes and you can break free of the plateau you just have to be creative and get your body guessing what's going to happen next.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

My Workouts

I had a request from a Skinny Mom Challenger to post my weekly workout. Here is a sample of what I have done this week starting with Sunday.

Sunday - 45 minutes of Jillian Michaels Banish Fat Boost Metabolism. This is 45 minutes of kick butt cardio.

Monday - Strength and Cardio
Strength workout includes;
Bench Press (Pectorals) 2sets/8 reps
Bench Flyes (Chest Upper/Outer) 2 sets/10 reps
Squats (Thighs) 2 sets/10 reps
Lunges (Thighs) 2 sets/10 reps
Lat Pull Down (Back) 2 sets/8 reps
One arm dumbbell (back) 2 sets/ 8 reps
Hamstring curls (hams/glutes) 2 sets/10 reps
Deadlift (hams/glutes) 2 sets/10 reps
Cardio included/ 1/4 mile sprints, jump rope for 10 minutes

Tuesday- Muay Thai Kickboxing 1 hour

Wednesday- Strength and Cardio
Same workout as above.

Thursday- Muay Thai Kickboxing 1 hour

Friday- Jillian Michaels 45 minutes No More Trouble Zones (strength)


Interested in learning about Muay Thai Kickboxing please click the link over to the side. If you would like to visit please let me know I have a coupons for a one hour private lesson valued at $ 69.00.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

How did I Get Here?

Losing weight is one of the most difficult tasks you will ever take on. To successfully lose weight you have to first know and come to terms with how you got to this point. Is it depression, anxiety, tragedy, or is it genetics?

For three years of my life I accumulated the pounds because I was severely depressed. I had thoughts of suicide and was on various antidepressants and nothing seemed to work. My depression was because of postpartum depression I never dealt with and marital problems. I would find myself eating anything and everything; an entire bag of cookies, a piece of pie for breakfast, ice cream, and drinking a gallon jug of sweet tea every two days. I had no motivation to do anything but take care of my kids. My doctor recommended time and again, exercise to release the anger, anxiety, and depression. He also encouraged writing in a journal and for three years I never listened to him and I continued taking medication. My children were on Christmas vacation this December, we were enjoying our Nintendo Wii, and I realized how seriously out of shape I was when I could hardly move my arms the next day. I was out of breath from playing the boxing game with my son. I went shopping for new clothes for my husband’s birthday party at my favorite store, I was trying on clothes and I realized I was in the largest size they carried and they didn't fit! I stood there looking in the mirror and just crying and thinking what has happened to me? How did I become this person that was starring back at me? Why did I let this happen? Especially with a family history of diabetes and four children to take care of and I was growing every year. I had gained over forty-three pounds in three years and average of 14 pounds a year.

Christmas 2008 at my highest weight of 178 and wearing a size 16. I looked like I was six months pregnant and weighed more here then I did when I had all four of my children.

From the day of my shopping trip I decided I was going to take control of my life and I was no longer going to let other people's actions control my life any longer. I realized that I am a good person, I wasn't worthless like I felt and I deserved to have a happy life. I purchased the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred from Amazon.com and I started working out 6 days a week using this DVD. I tell people this was the best $8.00 I ever spent in my life. I listened to Jillian's encouraging yet strong words as I was working out and I remember her saying, "I know you want to quit but don't give up." It was like she was really talking to me. I did want to quit but I also wanted a better life. I did the 30 Day Shred and started adding 45 minutes of the stationary bike afterwards. I started reading everything I could get my hands on concerning foods and I started counting calories. I visited webmd's website and realized that my BMI was considered obese. WOW! I took pictures of myself twice a month so I could see the progress. When people would notice that I was starting to lose weight it was like adding more fuel to my fire and really encouraged me to keep pushing myself. I love the person I am now and I love helping other moms feel great too.

I am asking you to ask yourself the same question, "How did I get here"? Write it down, sit down and really think about what events in your life have brought you to where you are today? Is it simply you just need to take control of your life or was it a tragedy that you never dealt with? You have to really dig deep and like I have said before hit the bottom of the barrel to start your weight loss journey. It is a journey of healing and it will take time and effort but you can do it. I know you can do it. Find support, use our group as your support, ask your family to jump on board with you, and do it now. It's your life and make the best most of it! Truly live it!

Monday, September 28, 2009

Weigh-In Monday

Skinny Mom Challengers today is weigh-in Monday.

Good luck ladies!

"Winning is not everything, but the effor to win is." Zig Ziglar

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Finding the Motivation to Keep Going

To be successful at losing weight you must incorporate exercise into your life. You can burn approximately 2500 calories a week through exercise. That is the weekly equivalent to 60 minutes of intense circuit training.

You must be consistent and determined to make exercise a habit. Many people don't follow through with exercise because they make excuses. Here are some tips to help you stay motivated and keep pushing yourself to exercise daily.

Get rid of excuses. How many of you make excuses for not exercising? Here are a few examples I have heard: "I'm too tired.", "My knees hurt.", "I don't have time.", and "I can't afford it." are a few. Does this sound like you?

Find something you love to do that will motivate you to continue exercising. I love going to Muay Thai Kickboxing, it is a difficult workout that works not only my mind but my heart and my entire body. Boxing is another great workout it is fun, and it works your total body and your heart. Run a marathon for a great cause. I participated in the Race for the Cure this year and I loved every minute of it. Not only was it a great workout for me but I was helping a great cause. I would love to have a Skinny Mom team this year. Strength train, find a partner and hit the weights. I just started strength training and I absolutely LOVE it! Strength training burns fat and builds muscle by boosting your metabolism and increasing the amount of caorie burning muscle. I'm not saying become a massive beast, I'm saying build, tone up, and burn fat.
Finding a partner to workout with will motivate you to make it to the gym or exercise in your home. This way you have someone to push you and you're less likely to back out when you know someone is waiting on you.
Exercise boosts your energy, builds your immune system, lifts depression, helps protect you from heart attacks, and it will extend your life. Most people who make exercise a part of their daily life can often eliminate prescription drugs for high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and and minimize the symptoms of POCS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome).

Burning calories makes you lose fat. Combine healthy eating with consistent exercise and you are setting yourself up for success. Exercise helps maintain muscles to keep your metabolism moving. When you diet and remain inactive you will use up your muscles and your metabolism will slow down. You don't need to workout 1,2,3 hours a day. You can workout for 30 minutes but you must put 100% into a 30 minute workout for it to be effective.

Make time for exercise. Again stop the excuse, "I don't have time." There are 24 hours in a day and 168 hours in a week. You can squeeze in 3 hours a week to workout. One way to do this is by taking your family calendar and write down all the activities for the week, once you have done this then you know what days and times you can workout. Write your days you plan to workout on the calendar in pen and consider this as important as an appointment with the doctor. It's time to start taking care of you! Sneak in quick exercises at your children's practices. I used to run around the soccer fields while my son practiced. You might even encourage other moms when they see your motivation to get fit. Do family activities on the weekend like a game of kickball or softball. Better yet while you're watching your favorite TV show get on the treadmill or stationary bike and you'll be amazed at how quick a half hour goes by.

Mix things up a bit. If you get bored easily mix it up. Changing your routine is good for your body. Your body will eventually get used to your workouts and you will stop seeing results. You have to change it up and keep your body guessing.

How do you get started? Simple, start out doing 10 minutes on the treadmill the next time add another 10 minutes until you are up to 40-60 minutes. Set a goal to work yourself up to more time. Take little steps each day but be faithful in working out.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Tips and Tricks for Successful Weight Loss

Here are some helpful tips and tricks to help you reach your goals.

Step 1: You need to reach way down into your heart and soul and truly admit you have a weight problem. Don't deny it any longer and make the decision to lose weight. This will help you set your mind to your goals and really focus on the road ahead.

Step 2: Stop making excuses! Don't say I will workout tomorrow and I will eat better tomorrow. It's time to start eating healthy and living healthy today regardless of if it's convenient for you or not!

Step 3: Build a team. If you are part of my Skinny Mom Challenge you have reached this goal. Use your team as a way to support you and push you. This team is here to help you learn and everyone is struggling with the same issues you are. Also your family, friends, coworkers, trainers, exercise partner, and husbands can all be a part of your team. Having support will keep you on track and help you reach your goal.

Step 4: Clean out your pantry, office, car and wherever you stash food. If it's bad for you and you know it get rid of it! Don't leave foods that will tempt you and sabotage you from reaching your goals. These items will cause you to overeat. Replace bad foods with healthy choices like, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and low-fat dairy foods.

Step 5: Set goals and realistic ones at that. Break your goals down into smaller goals. Here is what I did and this is what I encourage all of my Skinny Moms to do. My weight loss goal was to lose 43 pounds so I took 43 pounds and divided it by 2. The 2 is for 2 pounds of weight loss each week. This is a healthy and realistic goal to achieve. This told me it would take me 21.5 weeks to achieve my goal as long as I was 100% committed to reaching my goal. Then I divided my BIG goal into 4 little goals. I broke the numbers down and decided my fist 8 weeks I wanted to lose about 15 pounds. This way I wasn't focusing on the big number. If you focus on the total weight loss you will be more likely to give up because it seems so hard to reach.

Step 6: Make daily changes to reach your long term goals. You can do this by making little steps for example eat extra fruits and vegetables a day, try a different exercise routine, work out an extra 30 minutes a day, play a game with your kids that is active like kickball or ride bikes. Focus on the day to day tasks not the big picture!

Step 7: Set up you calories. The best way to learn what calories you should be consuming based on what you are trying to achieve is visit www.webmd.com. On this sight there is a BMI calculator and you can enter in your age, height, weight, gender, pant size, goal weight loss and what type of activity level you are working at currently. This site will tell you what your BMI is, your calories you should be eating and what it will take for you to lose up to 2 pounds per week. Once you have your calories stick to them! Don't eat less than what you are supposed to eat. Why? Because when you eat less your body believes you are starving yourself and it will go into an emergency mode and store all of your fat just so it can survive. Think of your calories as a checking account balance. Do you want to spend your money on foods that will not fill you up and that are unhealthy or would you rather feel satisfied. Don't waste your calories on drinks! Yes, there are calories in drinks and if you didn't know this then I suggest you start reading labels.

Step 8: Plan to be active at least 35-60 minutes a day. If you are going to only work out for 30-35 minutes then make sure it is a very intense workout so that you are effectively burning calories. You cannot lose weight just by eating healthy sorry, it's time to get off of the couch and start taking control of your life.

Step 9: Don't worry about setbacks! When I first began my weight loss journey my first couple of weeks I didn't see the scale move at all. I was discouraged at first because I didn't understand how I could be working out 6 days a week and the scale wasn't moving. Well what I wasn't paying attention to was my clothes were getting loser and I was losing inches! Just remember it's not always going to be an easy journey. You will cry and want to stop but you need to make sure you remember YOU CAN do this and YOU WILL! Never give up and remember you have friends and other challengers here to push you.

Step 10: JOURNAL! This is a big one and if you're like me I tend to hold a lot in. Don't! Let everything out in a journal because this will help eliminate stress and stress causes weight gain. Trust me I know three years of stress and depression and I packed on 43 pounds to show for it. I want to write in your journal as much as you can and I encourage you at least once a month to go back and read some of your past journal entries and see how far you have come. You won't believe it when you do. You will become so much stronger mentally just by releasing all that you have in your head and you'll notice things won't be seem so difficult.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Food Labels


How many of you struggle with food labels? Many people think if they are eating a small bag of Rold Gold Pretzels Classic Style Thins 4 oz. bag and it says Calories 110, a lot of people look at that as the entire bag. But if you read the label you will notice at the top of the bag it says;Serving Size 1 oz. about 9 pretzels and
Serving per container equals 4 servings. WOW! So if you eat the entire bag you have just ate 440 calories.

When you look at a label like the one I have attached you will find the calories in a serving size. Which on this bag of pretzels was 110 calories per serving approximately 9 pretzels. You will also find the numbers for fat below the calories. You need to limit the amount of unhealthy fats you have per day. Another very important part to read is the sodium levels. It is recommend not exceed the range of 1,500 and 2,400 milligrams (mg) a day for healthy adults. Look at the Total Carbohydrates next and remember in this total you will also find Sugar. You should not exceed 35 grams of sugar a day. Sugars can be added sugars or naturally occurring sugars too. You night also fined on a label the vitamin content. This helps you understand how much of the nutrients you are consuming. Fiber content is also under Total Carbohydrates and fiber is important aid to keeping your body healthy. Following Total Carbohydrates you will find Protein. Protein is important for helping in weight loss and feeding your muscles.

Usually printed along the right side of the label you will find the daily percentage values for each nutritional fact. Typically, 5 % or less is considered low and 20% or more is high.

Also on a label you will see posted the ingredients; on this label you see the first ingredient is Enriched Flour. First ingredients tells me it's enriched which means they sucked all the ingredients out of that flour. Don't be fooled because it says wheat flour or whole wheat. Once it says enriched you know they have stolen all of the good, healthy stuff from you. If you cannot understand or pronounce the ingredients put it back on the shelf and walk away, scratch that run as fast as you can to another isle.

Here is a challenge for you the next time you go to the grocery store make a point of trying to purchase foods containing only one ingredient. You will have to read the label in order to do this. One is best, but you may find foods with two or three ingredients. Make a list of foods with the fewest amount of ingredients as you can and email it to me.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Last Nights Biggest Loser Opened Eyes

How many of you watched The Biggest Loser? I thought it was one of the best episodes because it really focused on teaching the importance of changing your diet. My favorite example given last night was the pops compared to eating a bowl of sugar. What a fantastic way to truly show everyone what they are consuming by drinking pops or even sweet teas. Many people don't even realize if they would just eliminate sodas and sweet teas from their daily diet they would start to see changes in their weight. I never understood this before beginning my weight loss journey that every glass of tea I was consuming a day from a very well known fast food chain was adding on more weight to my body. I was drinking a large sweet tea at 270 calories a cup and 57 grams of sugar. On average I drank about 1350 calories of sweet tea and consumed 285 grams of sugar a day! WOW! The normal person should only consume 35 grams of sugar in a day! I was on fast track to diabetes. My family has a history of diabetes and one of my grandparents passed away due to complications from diabetes.

Our children are suffering from our poor eating habits and because Americans have become lazy and want the quick fix to everything and here they are; fast food, convenience foods in a box, surgeries for weight loss, diet pills and so much more. Our children are being affected by our poor choices. One third of our children are suffering from some sort of disease like Type 1, Type 2, pre-diabetes or metabolic syndrome X. More children are overweight now in this country and why? One of the main reasons why is because they are thrown fast food in the back seat of the car. Another is because their parents purchase foods like sugar filled cereals, donuts, boxed macaroni and cheese, pop tarts, Vitamin D milk, pops, and potato chips. Your children can't go to the grocery store and shop you have to make the right choices for them and teach them healthy eating. Children struggle enough in school don't make matters worse for them by helping them become overweight.

Take action and take it now. Get involved with the challenge and start making changes for yourself and your family! If you don't do it who will?

Journey

This is from my journals during my weight loss journey.

I began my weight loss journey on January 12, 2009. I had reached a point where a size 16 was getting too small for me and I looked like I was six months pregnant. My heaviest weight was 178 and I began in January at 174. I didn’t even weigh that much when I was pregnant with any of my children. It was horrible to look in the mirror and see what I had become. When I shopped for clothes I just wanted to cry because nothing fit and I looked horrible.

I think what really motivated me was our Wii. Ed and I played the Wii games with our kids and I was so sore from playing. I hadn’t done anything as far as exercise since the summer. After getting the Wii a friend of mine Holly said she had bought the Wii Fit and loved it. Then I purchased the Wii Fit, I played some of the games and I bought the Jillian Michaels Boot Camp game. Ed and I would compete against each other playing the boot camp game and we decided to start working out together. I committed on January 12, 2009 I would get down to my goal weight of 135 before summer. I purchased the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred and began working out 6 days a week. Wow! This was so hard for me to do since I hadn’t worked out in so long. The video has three levels and I started with number one, just 20 minutes a day and I was exhausted. I also cut my calorie intake to 1500 calories a day. I purchased only healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products and I really stay clear of the middle isles of the grocery store since it’s the foods with more calories and the longest shelf dates.

By February, 12, 2009 I was down to 162 pounds and I had lost 12 pounds in four weeks. It’s an awesome feeling to know I could lose that weight. I think one of the most motivating things for me is stepping on my Wii Fit and weighing in and seeing the graph showing where I started and where I am. This has made me push myself even more. The Wii Fit asks where I have been if I haven’t checked in for a couple of days. I have begun to get my self-confidence back and I decided I wanted to try kickboxing. I have always wanted to do kickboxing but just haven’t had the opportunity. I started kickboxing on February 28th and I love it. Its fun and it’s a great work out. I leave the place soaking wet and feeling really good. Kickboxing has also helped me come out of my shell along with exercising. I couldn’t stand to walk in front of people at work, at the mall, at a restaurant or anyplace because I felt like people were staring at me. Now I don’t even find myself thinking about it anymore. I don’t mind going out of the house with my hair pulled up and workout clothes on. I feel good because I know I have accomplished something that day.

My favorite thing about working out is when Ed and I work out together. I enjoy doing activities with Ed and it makes me proud to see him accomplish his goals too. We have cut back on our calories and stopped eating out at unhealthy places. We’ve focused more on eating meals as a family and teaching our kids what foods are good for them and what foods are bad. Our kids eat a lot more fruits and vegetables and we eat meals together. It’s a great feeling when my kids join in to exercise. Dylan walked on the treadmill while I rode a bike and Jordan runs with me too. I feel good that my kids want to work out. I think it’s funny when Avi and Kaden try to do a work out with me and try to use the hand weights. They love working out with me and Kaden just loves to show off. I think people don’t understand what the mental ramifications are on children when they are told they’re fat or lazy. I think they are now being lead by example and are more open to exercise since they are seeing their parent’s example.

Our office started a Biggest Loser Challenge on February 16, 2009 for 8 weeks. Three weeks into the challenge and three weeks from our goal date of April 13, 2009 I had lost another 11.4 pounds.

I am happy and feel like Ed is proud of me for what I have accomplished so far. He’s given me encouraging words and told me how good I look and he pushes me every now and then when he sees me giving up on my workout.

I was asked not to long ago, “How do you stay motivated to eat right and work out 6-days a week?” For me I have made a commitment to write down my goals, break them down into sections and stick with them. Having my goals in writing and checking in once a week to see where I am motivates me more to keep working towards my goals. I don’t cheat on my food and I don’t like to go out anymore because restaurants do not cater to healthy eaters they want you to eat more than the normal portion size and they want you to eat bad foods. Another big reason I am motivated to do this is for my health and for my kids. Both of my grandfathers were diabetic and I know that this is something I might have to deal with in the future. I want to make my exercise and eating habits part of our daily lives so that I can teach my kids the right foods to eat and what foods are not good for them because they will be at risk for diabetes and heart disease when they get older. If they are taught now hopefully they will use what they’ve learned throughout their lives and teach it to their children.

I guess you have to make a decision in your life to keep getting fat or to stop and do something about it. I decided to stop and do something about it and I don’t want to go back to the person I was. I love being slimmer and really like the way I feel about myself. All I can hope for his my family keeps working out with me and enjoys being healthy and active throughout their lives.



May 13, 2009

I am now exactly four months into my weight loss journey and I am down to 140 pounds. This is 34 pounds less then my starting weight of 174! I am five pounds from my weight loss goal. These last ten pounds have been very difficult to lose but I am sticking to my guns and keeping up with my 6 days of workouts. I have changed my workouts now to Jillian Michaels Banish Fat Boost Metabolism workout along with my Muay Thai kickboxing class.

I can’t even begin to tell you how good I feel not only about my new appearance on the outside but the way I feel on the inside. I’m no longer self-conscious when I leave my house. I don’t feel like people are staring at me because I am fat. I feel stronger mentally and I’m no longer depressed about my life.

I run into people at the store or out and they don’t even recognize me anymore because of my weight loss. It makes me happy and sad and I wonder what was I thinking and why did it take me so long to do something. It also saddens me to see people who are overweight and knowing they too probably wish they could lose the weight but for some reason their brain has just given up and their self-esteem is so bad they can’t even find the motivation to change their habits. I want to help any of my friends and family by motivating them to make the change and give them words of encouragement when I see changes or see their effort to make a change in their life. It’s all about educating yourself about portion sizes and stop drinking sugary and fat drinks. Use all the willpower you are currently using in unhealthy ways and focus on using it in healthy ways.

Also I won our Biggest Loser 2nd Round Challenge. My beginning weight at the 2nd challenge start was 146 and my final weigh in I was down to 139. I lost 7 pounds on the second challenge but a total of 24 throughout both challenges. Having support at work has helped a lot and with everyone here working on their weight loss goals it’s made things much easier.


June 25, 2009

I’ve reached my goal!!! Actually I made it to 133 pounds and a total weight loss of 45 pounds! I’m still working out 4 days a week, kickboxing 2 days and watching my calorie intake. No pop, no caffeine, no junk foods. I do cheat every now and then and my weakness is Mexican food. I am currently reading Jillian Michaels book Master Your Metabolism. This book is fantastic and I have learned so much about harmful additives in foods, sodium, hormones, and much more. I also purchased the Eat This Not That newest book. I love, love, love this book! Even Jordan my oldest daughter likes to read this book and she’s learned a lot. My family rocks! I have had a lot of great support and encouragement throughout the last 6 months. There was a little doubt in the beginning but as they saw my persistence they jumped on the wagon and began believing this can be done. There is no magic cure, not DIET in the world that can help you lose weight its all mind over matter and discipline. If you are fed up with how you feel or the way you look, get off the couch and start busting butt. It’s fun once you get started and start seeing a difference.

THANK YOU ALL MY FRIENDS & FAMILY FOR BEING SUCH GREAT SUPPORTERS!!!! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo