A Tithe in Pounds!

I did it! I've lost 10 percent of my body weight since we started this thing! I was really hoping to make that goal before the Sept. 14th 3-month mark, and I've made it!

I'm not sure if you can see much difference, but here's a before (on my birthday):


And a most recent (prolly technically before the final few pounds were gone):
It feels good! Don't keep track of it, anybody, but I'm keeping up with Luke - how much he weighs, I've lost so far! Think I can keep up? I'm sure eventually it wouldn't be healthy to! :)

Week 11

Mom:188
Eric:129
Tanya:128
Lisa:
Eric:
Mike:
Michelle: 386.5
Jennifer:217
Emily:
Jon:
Spencer:
Whitney:
Heidi:

Stressful Week

This week I managed to gain a pound only because that I had bought some chocolate treats, as I needed some comfort food, I was pretty stressed out this week with school starting on Wednesday and having a Ward camp out Friday/Saturday, but I hope that I can do better this week, as I am starting to volunteer at Utah Adoption Center just up the street, I will be helping with the dogs, you know like clean up after them and take them for walks, I am so looking forward to getting out of the house and doing something that I might not want to do, but be around with something that I want at home.

Let's have a challenge this week to see if any of us can actually do better than this last week and hopefully lose some weight for most of us. Here is to having more time doing what is needed and please don't give up

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Interesting.... but I'm NOT suggesting a change on the points spreadsheet

I was looking online for more information about what consists of a fruit/veggie serving. On canned fruit or veggies I've seen the serving size (for example, 1/2 cup of refried beans is a serving), but I've not known exactly what to count for the fresh food. I've counted a banana as 1 serving, an apple as 1 serving, etc. So, I logged onto 5aday.com to check (since the slogan has been to get 5 servings of fruits/veggies a day). However, that website took me to fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org. Here's actually a quick article that shows that no longer is 5 servings suggested (since 2008, actually!) but instead it is suggested a certain amount (in cups) per person per day depending on age, gender, etc. Take a look around the site. It's quite interesting. I really liked clicking on the fruit and vegetable nutrition database to see pictures (as well as selecting, storing, etc tips) of foods I've not seen before. I still can't remember the name of a fruit I had on my mission that I did not like because of its hairy inside. It wasn't on the list that I saw. (Maybe Spencer had that fruit in Argentina...) Maybe I should consult my journal and/or mission companions to see if they remember the name of the fruit.

Similiar sites:
fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov
5aday.gov (leads you to the former site)

A first for me

[Thanks to Lisa's help, this post is possible in this format....]

I've never had a gym membership and rarely have gone to a gym. (I tried to go with Whitney when I visited them. I had a visitor pass for a week at Michelle's place. I had a daughter pass with Mom at the YMCA - I don't think that one counted as a gym membership for me, did it?)

....Until now.

I joined Curves yesterday. I got some good information from Michelle and the internet and the owner (when I went in to see the place) and decided that I was okay with making the leap to join. Previously I have avoided joining a gym for the thought that I would just end up mad at myself for wasting the money for not going on a regular basis. My plan is to copy some of what Michelle did: get off the freeway exit close to Curves right after work since I'll be traveling on the freeway now and go right then before I get home so I don't get home & then decide I'm too tired to go. And with the limited hours they are open (only until 7:30 most nights), I'll have to go to the gym before my evening starts. So, hopefully this plan will help me work out on a regular basis and not end up wasting my money. I figured that if I go 3 times a week like Curves suggests (for just the 30 minute circuit), it only costs about $3 a visit. Not too expensive.

The worker took a whole bunch of measurements the first day and the program plan is for them to do it once every month. It'll be interesting to see any changes in my measurements in the upcoming months.

The factors that the members are only women, that a trainer person is always within voice range to help, and that the plan is just to exercise for 30 minutes (plus stretching) makes this all seem really plausible for me and my situation (which includes never previously having a gym membership).

Now, my shower schedule will be a little different that previously since I've never been a gym goer that got stinky/sweaty in the 'middle' of the day. I went this morning for my first session and will go back Monday morning, but then I'll be going to exercise after work once work starts again Monday afternoon. Curves opens at 6am/6:30 depending on the day, but I can't get up that early, exercise, shower, and then get to work on time. Nor do I think I want to try! :)


** I also posted this on my own blog, so you will see a repeat.

Tap Tap Tap... Hello?

This is just a dead post. The site isn't letting me update anything even though I'm signed in, so I'm trying this to see if it will let me enter my points. If it doesn't work, I'm still counting the points for posting my points on the blog on Sunday because I'm trying to.

Fun

Well this week was different, first there was the Ward challenge to eat from food storage, then there was Education Week, which was great of course. I did manage to lose 2 lbs this week, but only 1 counts as I gained and then lost the same weight. Saturday was packed with hiking the Y and the big Smith FHE in the evening.

Keep up the good work everyone, and I am hoping that others will keep going and lose some more weight and love healthier.

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Week 10

Mom: 153
Eric B: 116
Tanya:109
Lisa:
Eric M:
Michelle: 312.5
Mike:
Jennifer: 333.5
Emily: 236
Jon:
Spencer:
Whitney:
Heidi:

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Interesting way to diet

Our ward had a "Food Storage Challenge" week, where we were supposed to live for a week entirely off of what food we had in storage (and no fair buying extra just the week before to stock up). It was interesting figuring how to siphon water out of our large 30-gallon barrel, among other things. And the nicest part about it all? Both Tanya and I lost weight this past week, because we had fewer snacks (something about not having them already in storage)!

Boca Burger

So, this isn't a new vegetable or fruit that I tried this week, but it was a new food. My roommates who moved left some freezer food and told us remaining peeps to help ourselves to any that we wanted. I tried Hillary's boca burger. With the non-non-stick pans that we have in the apartment, it was a struggle to keep the burger from sticking while it cooked (in just cooking spray). But, beyond that, I dressed it up with cheese, tomato, lettuce, avocado, etc. It was an okay tasting thing. But, without all the toppings, I'm not sure I'd like it. And, from reading the ingredients, I learned that one of the first ingredients of the non-meat burger is cheese! Surprise to me. Did any of you know that?

Emily, you helped me!

I was about to post my points and saw that I was 1) lower than last week and a few other weeks near the beginning of Biggest Loser & 2) lower than Emily's points this week by just a few points. Competition, baby, got me down on the floor doing push ups and additional crunches! As well I reevaluated my points break down to make sure I gave myself credit for all I earned this week. And, now I'm just a few points higher than Emily. Thanks for the extra push to do more, even though you weren't aware that you did so, Em.

Week 9

Mom: 161
Eric B.: 126
Tanya: 85
Lisa:
Eric M.:
Michelle: 292
Mike:
Jennifer: 216.5
Emily: 205
Jon:
Spencer: 123.5
Whitney:
Heidi:

Hard Times

This week hasn't been good for me, I haven't been out as much as I have been making jam and keeping the girls from killing each other, but here is to next week with Education Week and hiking the Y again, we are going to see if we can make it faster than last time. I am planning on taking the bike back out when both the girls are back in school, I might even volunteer at the adoption center about 1 mile away, and maybe even be a foster parent, who knows what the future will hold.

Well I think that all of us are a bit down right now, as the summer is drawing to a close and we are all hoping that we will all do better. Here is to better time spent on doing the things that the summer makes us forget.

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Magic in California

Jen and I did a rill good job convincing Mom to play in a very non-missionary way with us. :) Enjoy!

Easy Cheese

I know Mike has already capitalized on this a lot, but doing those sit-ups, crunches, or push-ups (and the 10 minutes of stretching) are good easy points. Mind you they may not be "easy" per se, but they're easy in that you don't have to go anywhere, and if you need a few more points to make a daily/weekly goal, those are nice fillers. I've been doing those this week (although unfortunately haven't been to the gym lately). Anyway, give them a try if you haven't yet. And if you do them at various times during the day, you'll be surprised how many extra points you rack up.

Way to go, everyone!

125

i really didn't have a good week, so I need to go out more, but that might be hard this week as I am making yummy Plum jam most of the week. I did lose some weight but it wasn't a pound and it also wasn't less than what I was last time I lost weight, so I didn't count it, but its in the right direction. I hope that we can all still lose weight and have fun doing it, even though we all get slumps every now and again.

Have a great week and I am planning on going out on the bike at least once this week, so watch for more points from me

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