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!