Going with the momentum

Well, I was super successful last year in dropping 40 pounds. Then I decided to take a break over the Christmas holiday (the entire month), and I just couldn't get back into it like I was before. Then I started to go back to work, and that made most of my "me" time disappear. I have been spending lots of time contemplating my current situation, and I know I'm not happy with my weight (I'm happier than I was, but not satisfied yet), so I have to do something. Where could I find the time to exercise, and the energy and focus to stick to my diet?? I discovered that I like to do things that are hard and challenging, so I have committed to going to the gym after the kids go to bed at least 4 days a week, and sticking to my diet 90% I have shaped up my shopping habits, so I won't be tempted to bring home "snack" foods that turn into diet disasters (mini rice-cakes that are ok to eat a couple of handfulls of, but that I find myself eating by the bagfulls, etc.). I may not be thin by June, but I will be stronger and healthier than I was in January, and that's a great thing to work towards! Baby steps...

Can't wait to see you all!

I can't wait to see you all. Thank you so much for sending me the money for the cabin. We are going to have a great time. I hope you will all check out the list of activites I sent to you and let me know if you have other ideas. How is your weight loss going? We are on the home stretch now. For many of us however, we will continue our weight loss through this year and into next year. You still have time to lose weight. It's not too late. Cut out the soda, chips and candy and replace it with Vitamin water 10 (my new personal favorite) and baked tortilla chips or popcorn. We can do this together! See you in a month!

The Incredible Shrinking Tracy

Okay, I'm really not shrinking as fast as I would like but I have lost another four pounds and I am signing up for a 5K on Memorial day. I wanted to do a 5K before we had our reunion and I am excited to train for it. I just started running again. I have decided I like running (more like jogging at a really slow pace). I know I have to start slow and get some of this weight off me so I can go longer and farther. Anyway, I have been trying to work hard and have good weeks instead of bad weeks. How are you doing? Don't give up! We still have a month and a half! I am so excited to see everyone. I am going to be sending in the check soon for the vacation rental. As far as I know, it hasn't sold so we should be good. Love you all. Work hard and don't give up. We can do this thing together!!!!!

I am still in too, just a little late!

I haven't given up either! I did have a bad week last week when Eric was gone for 5 days. For some reason it's really hard for me to stay on track when I am out of my normal routine. But I am back on my diet, and I even (brace yourself) started walking again! I know, I am shocked too. Seriously the last time I exercised was a few days before I found out I was pregnant with Ellie. That was almost a year ago. I am embarrassed to admit that! Anyways, I started walking with Alison in the eveinings again and I love it! I love talking(gossiping) and getting some exercise at the same time. We have a walking path near my house that takes us by Walmart and Home Depot so we often pop in and get milk or go window shopping too. We go after the kids are in bed so I don't have to worry about them either. I feel so much better already, I honestly forgot how good it feels when you exercise, even something simple as walking. Exercise has always been my weakness, but I know it's going to be a really important part of my weight loss and health. So there you have it! Hope you guys are doing great, can't wait to see how everyone looks in June!

I'm Still In!

I'm still in and I am truckin'. The weightloss has been slow but I have been trying to exercise 5 days a week for an hour. I can feel myself getting stronger, I just need to loose the excess fat on top of my muscles. :) I have hit a plateau but I am hoping this week to break that. We still have the rest of March, all of April and all of May and part of June to lose those extra 25 lbs, so if you haven't lost a single pound.... You can still do it! Thanks for the encouragement Carole. We can do this together!

come on everyone!!

It's getting lonely here - have we all fallen off the bandwagon? I know it's a long haul, but we need each other!! I challenge everyone that's in this to put a post on here by the end of the week. You don't have to have lost (or gained, Cody & Dad) any weight, and you don't even have to be currently following your diet plan, but please post something!! We can only do this by helping each other, and if no-one writes what their troubles are, or their successes, how can we help each other? So that's it - you all have one week - let's see some posts, people!!

here's a new, awesome, totally free weight loss tool!!!!

Hey all, this one just occurred to me, so I tried it out, and it is amazing!! So, there I was, standing in the kitchen, contemplating which of the handfull of "bad" things in my cupboards to combine for a killer snack, when it occured to me that I wanted a huge spoonful of peanut butter mixed with some raisins and chocolate chips. Now, I know, this snack would put me under by about 400-500 calories, and I'm saying to myself "Don't do it!! Just walk away!!" But I can't make myself do it, so I think again to myself "why am I doing this, and how can I stop?" when it occurs to me to PRAY!! This has happened to me several times before, and I just brushed it off thinking, no that's just silly (It's amazing what we tell ourselves!), but this time I was just desperate enough to try it, and you know what? I said a simple, quick prayer, basically saying "please help me stop doing this," and I immediately lost my desire to mix that huge spoonful of PB with the huge mound of raisins and chocolate chips!!!! No kidding - I was able to walk away with just a cup of water in my hands, and I wanted to cry/laugh/dance/sigh with relief/hit myself for not doing it sooner!!!!!!

This has actually grown my testimony that God doesn't just care about the big things - He cares about everything, and most importantly our happiness. Please give this one a try!! Tammy and I were talking earlier about our struggles with weight, and we acknowledged that Satan has a real hold on us, because we came here for our bodies. They are a sacred gift, and he is jealous of us, so it makes sense that he is the one that is trying to make us destroy our bodies, and make them unhealthy. If you think about it that way, a diet is a great opportunity to grow your testimony, learn about the atonement (what other sin do you recommit more???), and grow closer to understanding God's love for you.

I hope I haven't made this too deep, and I know we should keep these post short and sweet, but I really wanted to share that, because I think prayer is the single tool that will work no matter what!! Let me know what you think :) I love you all, and good luck!

When you have a few minutes....

Take a look through this article at all the people who have lost 100 lbs or more! Their before and after photos are really inspiring. It's strange to read their stories because it sounds just like what I tell myself and think! Anyways thought you all might like to look through this article too!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25708021/

not quite "after" photo

Tracy requested a recent photo of me, as she didn't get to come out for Ellie's blessing, and Emily made comments about my looks (Thanks Emily!!!) I uploaded them to my Facebook photo album, so you can check them out there too, but here is the best of the pack...

It's March!

Hey family! It's March. June is just around the corner so if you haven't lost any weight yet....You still have time but you need to get started NOW! Personally, I haven't been doing my best this last week but I have a renewed commitment after talking to Tammy today. I'll let her tell you of her success! Yeah Tammy. This is our time to lose weight. We can do it. We all have each other. We aren't competing, we are all in this together!

I just have to say..

Ray and Carole came into town this weekend....and Carole, you look AMAZING. seriously. I wouldnt tell you, you look amazing if you truely didnt. I think one of the biggest motivators are seeing results, and seeing the results around you. Carole is going to be in a bikini this summer, who else is?!?!??!

I am back on the wagon too!

I went to bed last night frustrated with myself once again for not sticking to my diet (I will spare you the details on what I ate because it's way too embarrassing!) So I woke up this morning with a new determination to stick to the weight watchers plan 100% for one week. Then I am going to reevaluate on Sunday night to see if it worked and I should do it for another week, or if I need to change courses. I am trying to set smaller goals for myself so I don't get overwhelmed. I keep thinking, Oh I've got until June so it doesn't matter if I eat an entire bag of candy now, I'll just do better next week! I need to start being accountable NOW!!! I want to be AWESOME too!

need a treat?

Hello ladies and gents! So i am sitting here, reeeealllly wanting a "treat" to satisfy my sweet tooth, so im rumaging through the cabinets and i dont find anything, not a cookie or ice cream, nothing...which is good, right? well...yea cause if i found a box of cookies i would eat the whole thing... but i did find some hot cocoa mix and wallla! It does satisfy your need for something delish, guys. And there are millions of different flavors of hot cocoa, so read the lables, make sure its not too crazy unhealthy and drink away. I like drinking tea and stuff at night, to help wind down, so maybe cocoa will help me satisfy that sweet tooth. Im in the mood to start this back up again. If im ever gonna get my tummy tuck, im going to need to lose this weight! ( and yes im going to get a tummy tuck one day, fam, have you seen my deflated balloon tummy? its gross. You would think since im like really young my skin would have gone back to normal....NOPE! of course not :) anyways, im gonna get back to eating good tomorow. I havent been feeling well lately and i dont know whats wrong (like i feel like im going to throw up), and its pretty consistant, so i guess my only option is to ignore that and move along with the diet? i dont know. Thanks for the update Carole, hows everyone else doin? TAM?!?!?! TRACY?!?! ERIC?!?!? come on guys, lets talk about it!! Ill have cody take some nude pics of me so you can see how sexy i am......JUST KIDDING

Milestones!

OMG (G standing for "goodness" of course)!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My original wedding ring fits once again!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited/glad/encouraged to reach that milestone. I have missed wearing that ring for the past 5 years, at least. I'm not sure of my exact weight, but I know I weighed 157 at my wedding, so I am around there now. I have decided to go back to weighing myself only once or twice a month, as I was getting psychologically messed up by seeing the daily rise and fall of the scale. So I have decided to hide the scale until the end of the month. I hope you all are making strides and figuring out what works for you. Emily, I know you were joking when you said that being fat was awesome, but I am not: Getting smaller is AWESOME!!!!!!!

Mo Money!

Mom just said she is adding $50 bucks to the pot! Mom says for everyone to keep going, don't give up, the sacrifice is worth it or should I say the hunger is worth it! Being fat is not awesome---Emily! And nobody better be smoking in this family! We are on a quest for health!
Love,
Mom

OK - Let's pull together!!

Hey all. I agree that heading into month 3, it can get stale. We get into our routines, but they can get old fast if we don't change them up!! We need to be encouraging each other like we have been, and offering our ideas, so we all have plenty of tools in our arsenal. I have reached a plateau, which is a fancy way of saying the scale isn't budging. I am 95% following my diet, and working out at the gym for at least 1 hour 4-5 times a week, and nothing's changing. I'm trying to figure out what I can do that's different!!!
I've re-learned a couple of good lessons about shopping. Obviously we all know not to go shopping hungry, so I have a box of 90 calorie granola bars in the car that I can grab if I forget to eat before I go. This rule will also help you follow the other rule. Regardless of what dear hubby and/or dear children want to eat, if it is a weakness of yours, just drop it and walk away!!! Don't buy chips for your hubby if you will just end up on the couch with the bag in your lap!! If he desperately wants something you can't have, give it to him immediately after returning from the store and tell him to hide it real good!! Ray hides his goodies way up high, because even if I want them, I am too lazy to drag the ladder out from the garage to reach them, lol.
A side note - Ray is doing really well on the diet - this example is from before he started!!!
OK everyone - keep up the good work, and remember, even though we have a sort of a deadline, this is not a race. Think Tortois and Hare - we want to be the tortois and actually cross the finish line, not the Hare and get lost halfway through!!! Good luck all.

not doing so well.

everyone is smokin me! i need some inspiration. lets hear from everyone.

Weekends!

Hey fam damily! How are you doing? I had a pretty good week this week and then kind of blew it on the weekend. Two steps forward one step back! Does this ever happen to you guys? I think it is because I don't have the same routine as the rest of the week. I don't know. Anyway, I have almost lost 10 pounds. My clothes are fitting better but I still have so much to lose! How are you doing? Any numbers or are you just going to surprise us at the reunion. :) Anyway, I did something fun and I wanted to share with you. I had Evan take a picture of me front, back, and side in just my undies then I took a permanent black marker and took off all the rolls and unwanted inches off my body. I could actually see my old body hiding in there. It was amazing. Now if only I could coax that body to come out. Anyway, I hung it in my bathroom inside the bathroom mirror so I could look at it everyday but it would be hidden from plain view. Obviously, I am not going to post those pictures here but I wanted to share the idea and see if it helps anyone else. I could actually see the body I wanted to get back. It was very enpowering. Keep up the good work. Eric we haven't heard from you in awhile. Let us know how you are doing! Love you all!

Dont you wanna?!

We gonna be SO sexy!

Did anyone else know that....

Diana has lost 128 lbs?! Amazing isn't it! If she can do it, so can we!

News Flash ~~~~Ray did a workout!.... two workouts!~~~~

I did two early morning workouts in the last three days. monday and wednesday I got up at 4:30 am and did my first workouts in years. Monday was the hardest, I nearly threw up. I started with some stretching then into kettlebell cardo swings. (kettlebell workouts are awsome, look it up if you don't know what they are) after that some pushups and situps. (I will admit I had to do girl pushups......man I am out of shape) then finally some curls and presses with the kettlebell. I felt great all day, I helped me eat right all day and drink my water. I have done real well with my water and have only had 2 sodas in the last 3 days........I would usually have 6 or so by now. I am a little sore all over from my workouts but all around feel pretty good. I have not been super great with the diet though. Something I need to work on. I did eat breakfast the days I worked out, I usually skip breakfast.

Well it is just a start. I want to do 2 more workouts this week, that is my goal. I need to do more before I start seeing results but I have taken the first step.

Ray

Dont buy goodies

Im telling you. Dont buy them. Cause as soon as you do, you will eat them. I dont care if your husband wants them or your kids....that means youll have it too. i dont believe in treating myself anymore! If all you have is salad in the house then all you can eat is salad :)

Confession

Well since we are all confessing....I made brownies yesterday. I don't know why, I wasn't even craving them or anything. I was actually craving Jello pudding with whipped cream but I made brownies instead. Not a good idea! And I had a brownie for breakfast this morning! What the hell is wrong with me?!

Life Happens

This post is for Emily or anyone else who has ever pigged out while trying to loose weight. It's okay. It's over. Life happens. I have found for me that I can't go to the grocery store on an empty stomach. I buy way too much food and it's usually the food that is not good for me. I have "Red Flag" foods like pizza, chips, cookies, and chocolate. If they are in the house. I will eat them. It is so much harder when you see food that tempts you. You think to yourself I'll just eat 1/2 a cookie and then you see the other half and you say to yourself I'll just finish that up. And then another cookie stares you down and pretty soon you are popping cookies and you say to yourself, "I don't care". But afterwards you feel awful. Emily, we have all been there. We have all done it. You need to forgive yourself and just move forward. Don't worry about yesterday. We are all going to take this one day at a time. We are all trying to change our eating habits which is a really difficult thing to do. Sometimes I say to myself, I used to be able to eat a candy bar, I should be able to eat a candy bar now. The difference is I would eat a candy bar maybe once every three months and now I want a candy bar every day! You need to find a good balance in your life. We are all in it for the long run. Yes, we are all striving to lose 25 pounds by June but for the majority of us we have a lot more weight to lose. We are going to have to work on this for the rest of our lives. So for now. Hide the cookies in the freezer, give them Cody to bring to work, or throw them away. You are doing great Emily. We believe in you and we all know you can do this. It's going to be hard, but we are all in it together. We love you!

BAD day...really, it was bad.

MAN! i was doing so well! ive never, EVER been so dedicated and self controlling, until today... :( I messed up big time today and didnt follow my diet at all. I didnt eat breakfast cause I wanted to get to the grocery store before the girls nap time, then at the store i dont know what i was thinking but i bought a BIG thing of cookies for valentines day but i ate just about all of them for lunch.....and dinner... :( haha Ok so ive figured out, you cant let yourself slip or have a "treat" every now and then or else you will end up eating all the treats in sight! I have learned something new today. Now im going to have to make cody eat all of those cookies so i have no temptation, cause i seriously cannot control myself around them. Dang. So no more having treats for me. Back to the diet tomorow. i hope. i need some motivation, guys. help me!

a fresh start

ok, guys, the truth is, I took December off of my diet so I could enjoy the holiday without totally stressing out over calories. I didn't pig out, but I didn't weigh and measure, and if I wanted a cookie, I ate it.

Well, January rolled around, and I kept going to the gym, but couldn't get myself back on the food track. I would eat good and then pig out after the kids went to bed (that has always been my weak period). So this past couple of days I have really been giving myself the pep talk to get back into it. I am over halfway to my goal, and it would be devastating to have to start all over again. I think I jinxed myself when I went public with my diet!! I honestly did great until I started telling people that I was on a diet!! so I am going to keep my mouth shut and get back to work! (I'll still keep the blog page updated though). So, for those of you keeping score, I am back to 165, my January 1 starting weight.

On a positive note, I did something pretty cool this weekend. I participated in a 5k run on Saturday. Considering that at this time last year I had plantar faciitis in both feet and could only do cardio on the bike, I am thrilled to be able to do it! My PF is mostly gone, but it does flare up if I don't treat my feet nicely, so I have to be careful to run with good form, and with good shoes, and also to wear shoes with inserts most of the day, but that is a small price to pay considering the runner's high. I completed the 5k in 33:46, which is about 3 minutes faster than the last 5k I ran (pre-kids), but still not as fast as I think I can go - I was taking it pretty easy at first, to get a feel for the road. My goal is to compete in another 5k, and run my heart out to see how fast I can do it, and then to compete in a 10k before our family deadline.

OK, I've filled up the blog page, so that's it for now. Keep up the good work everyone - I know we can all do it!!! Wouldn't it be cool if we could all participate together in some sort of athletic event? Maybe we can take a poll and see what everyone would be interested in, and find an event. Let me know what you think, and Tracy - maybe you could put a poll up on the blog?

update:week one

Alright guys. Just wanted to give an update on me my first week! It was tough....It feels like this was a month instead of a week, BUT i did it! I did cheat a time or two (eating a piece of bacon when i wasnt supposed to, and eating a salad for dinner instead of a meal bar) But i only cheated those two times. So I lost 6 pounds this week. I now weigh 204 instead of 210. ouch. i said it! ewwww. So it was supposed to be lose 6 pounds in two weeks but i did it in one week...does that mean i wont lose any weight next week? hmmmm...

ANYWAYS... I have found that i get full now just by eating 3 small meals and the two snacks a day. I have NEVER gotten full off of one of those tiny snack bars, but now I do. I think my body is getting used to eating smaller portions....dont get me wrong, It was torture going to bed hungry everynight, not having larger snacks and stuff. But i just kinda made myself do it and i didnt think about it and it worked. I cant believe i accually am doing this. I have never been able to have this self control before, and i like it!

I have exersized a TINY bit...but not much. I know i need to. You guys are lucky, you all have exersize equipment in your homes, we dont. If we had a treadmill, id be on it every chance i got. But oh well, I think this week im going to do some pilates. Its easy.

So how are you guys doing? keep me updated on how much weight you guys are losing?? Also, i wanna tell you guys to TRY THE PROTEIN WATER....it really helps me. Im out of it now and having withdrawls! I love the kiwi strawberri and the pink lemonade flavors! so good and filling.

One more thing...I know some of you have been saying that you dont ever feel full even when youve just eaten. DONT GIVE UP. I know the feeling trust me! Just make sure to get in a couple healthy small snacks in each day and you may still be hungry, but your body is going to get used to not eating plate after plate of food, guys. I cant believe how little im eating now and feeling satisfied, not full, but satisfied. And in a couple hours when i start to get a hunger pain, i have a snack (some fruit or protein water) and then im good until the next meal.
I went the first couple of days on this diet feeling STARVING the whole time, but i just stuck it out eating smaller portions, and by now im used to it, just after one week. And trust me, im not starving myself, I really am just eating normal portions. I cant believe how much i ate before... I wanna hear updates from you guys, cause you guys motivate me to keep going!

It is me

Hey Fam - it's Ray!

I finally got on here. I have been thinking about this for a while but have not started yet. After all these years of being overweight getting started is pretty hard to do. I have been wracking my brain trying to figure out when I am going find the time to work out. The only time I have found that I may be able to do it is 4:30 am. That means I am going to have to sacrifice the little sleep I get. As for a starting weight I flux between 290 and 310......ouch! 3 bills, I never thought I would have to say that.

My plan is to do 30 mins of cardo/weight training 4-5 days a week and cut back dramaticly on my sugar intake. I plan to cut soda completely and replace my beverage intake with water (I don't drink enough). In addition I have to stop overeating. I overeat at every meal and am constantly snacking. I know it is in my head and I overeat due to stress, boredom, and whatever else that is not going my way in my life.

I have never been much of a diet person so I need to increase my activity level. well that is all for now...

wish me luck! Our computer got fried this week, so I don't have any photos on the computer to download right now, but I'll get one on here soon.

Scale Woes....

So whose scale do you go by? Yours or the doctors? The doctor's scale says I am three pounds lighter than my home scale, obviously I'd love to believe that scale, but I am not going back to the doctor just to get weighed. (BTW, I am a human again...6 week check up went good! And I got the official go ahead to....start weight watchers, thought I was going to say something else, didn't you!) Any who....I did start WW on Monday and I have had a heck of a time staying on it! I am so frustrated! I hate dieting! I am constantly hungry as soon as the words dieting enter my head, I know it's just a mental tactic to sabotage myself but I don't know how to get past it. Literally I can't stop thinking about food. Every morning I think, okay I am going to try this again today, but by lunch I've blown it and am frustrated and STILL starving! How is this possible? I think I am going to go duct tape my mouth closed...I'll let you know if it works!

Need a snack?

Thanks for sharing some of the snack ideas. I am snacking on the special k challenge, cause you have to. I LOVE their protein water. It totally fills me up when its like 3pm and i need something to make it to dinner. You can buy the stuff you mix in with bottled water or you can buy the bottles already mixed. The mix i have has 30 cal. per serving and the bottles have 50. and they DONT have aspirtame in them (i thought they did)...which is good. But they seriously help curb hunger until its meal time. It is a little expensive, but i think its worth the money, so i stock up. But they have protein and fiber in them. I also love the special k snack bars, cause they do the same filling with only 90 calories.

I also appreciate what carole said about slim fast. Guys....its pretty cheap...its good for you (as long as you drink lots of water)....AND it fills you up. I had an old boss at target who lost 60lbs on the slimfast diet. And they changed it. Its not just sub 2 shakes for 2 meals anymore, you get to eat more now on it (thats also true for the special k challenge, they allow more food so its healthier). As long as you stick to it and dont overeat.

Im doing good so far in the 3 days that ive been on the special k challenge. I havent cheated yet eventhough ive felt like going to mcdonalds and getting a big mac! I have found that i am hungry sometimes when i cant eat yet, but i know its because im used to eating sooooooo much at every meal. Im really determined to do this now. Im going to start making time to exersize. Ill put another update up when im done with my first week. :) Good job everyone!

helpful hints - knowledge is power :)

Hey, Emily - thanks for sharing how you are doing it! I think we have all tried and failed to lose weight with various methods. I have tried and failed, and tried and been successful to a degree many times! The weight I have lost so far has been the most I have ever lost, by using the classic "eat right and exercise" method, and I am shocked that I am still following the plan. I have many tools that I mix and match to the occasion. Here are a few that have worked for me.

I started out on Slim-Fast, using their meal and snack bars, and following their online diet plan to the tee (measuring and timing everything). I am not so meticulous now about measuring and weighing, as I have a better idea of how much I am eating on sight, but every once in a while I break out the food scale just to keep myself in check, and I keep their meal bars on hand in case I am too busy with the kids to fix myself a good lunch.

My second trick is to always keep healthy snacks on hand. That is my downfall - I get hungry between meals, and I want to grab something quickly, and it's usually chips, peanut butter, and other bad stuff, so I keep a good stock of apples, string cheese, and snack bars (my favorites are the quaker oatmeal bars, 90 calories each, and filling). the last tip I'll share today is peppermint! I have a stock of peppermint candies, and if I get the munchies, and I know I'm just bored, I pop one of those in my mouth, and I forget about eating until the urge to do so passes. I hope these can be helpful to you all, and please share more tips!!!

Pigged Out This Weekend

I had a pretty sucky weekend with my eating. I always have a harder time on the weekends. We had two dinner parties and I lost my focus. Today is Monday though and I am back on track. My plan for weightloss is eating 6 small protein packed meals, cutting out salt as best I can and cutting out dairy. (Dairy upsets Ryan's tummy anyway!) I am adding more fruits and veggies into my diet also. I am also trying to excercise 5 days a week. I have an elliptical machine in my house and 2 days a week I go walking on a track for 40 minutes. I know this works for me as long as I stick to the program. I weight myself once a week and I take measurements so if I don't see the scale move at least I might see a reduction somewhere else. I am so excited for everyone. How was your weekend eating?

Ask and ye shall recieve...

Well here is my "before" picture. I am just hoping my "after" picture doesn't look exactly the same! So my plan is to start Weight Watcher again. My good friend Donna has a friend that just lost 50 lbs in 5 months on Weight Watchers (she is nursing too) and I got really inspired by her before and after pictures. I don't even know this girl but I felt really excited for her and it also gave me hope and determination! I am starting this competition as the heaviest girl (I feel like I am on the Biggest Loser). I was laughing this afternoon because Emily told me her weight and she was sad but I was like "I wish I only weighed that much!" Oh well! But I have lost a whopping 2 lbs since Jan. 1 so...watch out everyone!

Gonna give you guys a real good look here...

And no post would be complete without pictures of my babies!



Ha ha! Here is a good one of Dad!

late start...i know

So today ive officially started. I know...im a little late. But i thought cody and i were going to get a gym membership, but we ended up having to wait until next paycheck. Bummer. So we just went grocery shopping yesterday and got some healthy stuff. So today i start. Im going to kick it off by doing the special k challenge, cause ive heard it helps you jumpstart your weightloss...and its really easy. I also got a scale and found out just how much i weigh but im not telling :) i told tammy. im too embarassed to put it up here. maybe if you ask me ill tell you. :) hows everyone else doing?

Being fat is awesome

I went to see a doc about my migraines and he told me to lose weight. It made me really sad and also kind of made it hit home. It's like.....ok im not only fat in my eyes but i realize other people know im overweight. Thats a major motivator.

Erics Post

I'm in too. Doc told me 3 times in a row to lose weight, and this is a good chance to get motivated enough to follow through more than just the first 5 pounds, then giving up. Good luck to every "body". :)

Tracy's Before

Okay, this picture was taken today! I looked through my pictures and realized I don't have any pictures of myself. I love taking pictures of my kids and husband but I have a tendency to say away from the camera. Anyway, this picture is for Em. :)

So, I'm tired of being FAT! I weighed 130 lbs from the time I was 16 until I got married. Then I went on birth control and I blew up like a balloon. Then I had my 1st baby (Evan doesn't want me to use our kids names on public websites) and my weight stayed at 200 lbs. I went on weight watchers shortly before I got pregnant with my second child and got down to 170 lbs and I felt great. Then of course I gained 35 lbs with her and it didn't leave. I was back at 200 lbs again. I think I was just to lazy to loose the baby weight again between my second and third child. I knew I wanted another baby and I also knew I was going to gain another 35 lbs so why try to loose the weight. Sure enough I got pregnant with my third baby and I got up to 240 lbs. Ahhhhh!!!! I lost 20 lbs right after he was born and then the weight loss stopped. Some women melt away while nursing but I am not one of them. It is really hard for me to loose weight because I am always hungry while nursing.

Anyway, I was stuck at 220 lbs so I decided to join weight watchers online. I lost 10 lbs and felt better but then Christmas hit and my enthusiasm fizzled out. But now.... I am back! My starting weight for this year is 210 lbs and I weighed myself today and I am down to 203.5! I never thought I would be exctied to see 200 lbs but I am! I have decided to take my weight loss 5 lbs at a time! I will see 130 lbs again by taking it 5 lbs at a time. I don't want to be a diabetic, I don't want to be the fat wife of a triathlete (by the way Evan is training for another triathlon), I don't want my girls to have the same struggle I am having. I am going to get healthy and fit! Thanks for doing this weight-loss challenge with me. I know we can all do it together. I love you all. FYI...If mom, myself, Tammy, Emily, Ray, Carole, and Eric all loose 25 lbs then we will have lost 175 lbs all together. Awesome!

Cody is too skinny!

I just wanted to add....Cody goal is to GAIN 25 pounds, cause he's a walking stick. He wants muscle. So, just wanted to let everyone know :)

Emily is sexy.

Ok so im new at this....so forgive me if im doing something wrong. I chose all of these pictures cause i hate them...i look so gross in them!!

I havent started yet, i have a nasty cold that im waiting to get over. Its impossible to eat salads when you have a cold!

Cody and I are joining a gym this week, so then we will start. I dont know how much I weigh right now, but once we get to the gym I'll find out and let everyone know! Im excited to start!! Good luck and may the most dedicated person win! :) just kidding :)

Carole's "before"

OK, folks, these are the best pictures I could find of me. It turns out I'm behind the camera for 99.9% of our family's pictures. I picked the second one though, because I still have this shirt, so I'll take my "after" picture in the same shirt and hopefully there will be a difference!! That picture was taken in May 2008. The first one was taken in 2003, and I think I weighed about the same then. I remember having this picture taken. I was thinking - please don't turn out!! Those Old Navy sweaters are so flattering!!

Also, a little note of encouragement: I've found that my best motivator is to beat myself!! I don't think so much about being "skinny," but more about being stronger than I was before (physically and mentally). Battle - wage war - to win against that inner eater!! If you never try, you will never know how strong you really are. And, as I heard Jillian (from biggest loser) say "Go ahead and try to quit". Every time I hear that I think "No way - you can't get me that easy!" Good luck, everyone!!!

Carole

P.S. (EDITED) I guess we are divulging our weight - hey, we're family, right? no judgment because we are all in the same boat :) Anyway, on January 1, I weighed 165, and I currently weigh 162!!!!!

Castle in the Clouds

Well, we secured our family's cabin maybe?!? The house is called Castle in the Clouds and if you want to check it out go to this website. http://www.donfryrealty.com/1129-Meadow-a45643.html
I have the cabin reserved for June 10th, 11th and 12th. The reason I said we have the cabin secured "maybe" is the cabin is actually for sale. They just lowered the price from 1.1 million to $825,000. Let's all keep our fingers crossed. We have some back-up places but I really think this place would be the most fun! They have a spa, pool table and lots of space for the kiddos to run around. Mom wanted to have a belated birthday party there also for Gramps(and Tammy). We could play some crazy games (Corn nut hunt) and have a blast. Anyway, I wanted to keep you updated on the place. Castle in the Clouds does not require you to bring your own linens or towels but we will need to supply our own paper products (tp, paper towels, plates, etc.) Can't wait! How is your weight loss going? Time goes by quick. Don't let it run out on you......

The biggest loser!

Hey family, so I have talked to all of you and we are starting our lose 25lbs by the 25th anniversary. Whoever loses the most weight between Jan 1st 2009 and June 10th 2009 will win a shiny new $100 bill and plus you will be at least 25 pounds lighter (hopefully). Good luck!