Mom is better and I'm back in the swing of things.  Ran 2 miles yesterday and ate carefully... and got rewarded on the scale this morning.  189.8!  I haven't weighed this little in 9 years!  And once I hit 184 it will be my lowest weight in 12  years.   After eating mindfully for several months, it's easier to bounce back to healthier habits.  We can all learn to have healthy as our new "normal".  Be patient with yourself and remember that you didn't gain the weight overnight, so  you aren't going to lose it overnight either.  If you aren't already doing this, try drinking a big glass of water while cooking.  It gives you something to do instead of tasting the food (a few too many times!) and by the time dinner is on the table you've got a jump start on feeling satisfied.  Hugs to all!

Thanks Bev for encouraging me to drag out my old Foreman grill. We have used it 3 times since we got home Sunday evening. It definately helps when we are short on time. It cuts down on clean up too! I'm doing well with my points and I'm hoping it really shows on the scales this Saturday! I walked again carrying the extra 16 pounds (second time this week for 1.5 miles). Thanks Diet Divas for the challenge! I encourage everyone to give it a try at least once.

 

I'm very proud of you Bev for not falling to temptation. Stress can drag us all down sometimes. I admire you for making the tough, but best choice for yourself. Hope your Mom is continuing to improve. Looking forward to our next cooking / workout weekend!

Well, it looks like two nights ago my mom may have had a small stroke or a series of mini-strokes.  Naturally, I've been concerned and extremely stressed.  And hungry.  I've struggled with eating extra food at times - sometimes I've won and last night the Italian restaurant won.  Today I was still worried, hungry and about to fall into the trap of eating another Kashi bar to feed my hunger and to try and calm my anxiety.  But I'd planned ahead knowing that moment was like to occur.  Instead of eating, I put on my running shoes and ran for 1.2 miles through the big corporate parking lots at work.  I felt much calmer when I returned and better able to face the future.  I'm so grateful I discovered the incredible benefits of exercise before this happened.  Far better to run your way through a crises than eat your way through it.   And thanks for the good wishes everyone... it helps!!

Just wanted to say I took on the Diet Divas challenge of walking a mile carrying 16 pounds. I managed to go 1.5 miles before my fingers the cold weather made me stop.

 

Just wanted to say that we are all in this together, The Biggest Loser community.  I hope you all will keep my dear friend and teammate, Bev and her family in your thoughts and prayers as they deal with her mother's health crisis. Thanks to everyone and God bless.

Last night my mom went to the ER and it reminded me yet again of the real reason I'm losing this weight and improving my health.  At the end of the day, it's not about how your jeans fit or how society perceives you... it's about staying alive.  Mom is very disabled by diabetes.  I am doing everything I can to change my health so that I will be as healthy , active and vigorous for as long as I can be. 

 

It can be scary to peer down that long dark "what-if" tunnel to see what your life will be like if  you don't change unhealthy habits, but it may very well save your life.   I welcome all of you to join Buc and I as we lose weight, eat better and exercise our way to a long and healthy life.  You deserve to have good health and you matter enough to make the effort to change  your life for the better.

We had a wonderful weekend. I hope everyone else did too. Ours was full of wonderful friends, great food, excellent cooking lessons and tips, getting to coach again and a nice long run / walk. I'm far from being up with you Bev on the running and can't ever see myself getting there, but thanks for letting us tag along. It was great seeing Amy and her family again too! With much fear and trepidation I entered a world little visited by me, the world of healthy cooking and what a marvelous teacher I had. I don't think Emeril will ever have anything to worry about from me though! My teammate and I both went outside our comfort zones, but the rewards we both will reap will make it all very well worthwhile! I'm very proud of me teammate for stepping up to the plate and very much look forward to seeing her progress! You can do it Bev! I'm looking forward to more Biggest Loser weekends with Bev, very fun and educational!

What a fantastic weekend and we have the photos to prove it!   Buc and his kids came up to my house on Saturday and we had a whirlwind visit full of Biggest Loser events.  First, we gave Buc his customized cookbook binder filled with Bev's favorite recipes and he decided on two meals he'd make.  Then we took a trip to the local grocery store to discuss helpful cooking aids like a crock pot as well as more desirable cuts of meat that make for healthier meals.   Back at home again, Buc coached me through eight different exercises in strengthen and tone my arms.  The long afternoon gave way to Buc's first cooking lesson making healthy chicken and broccoli - what a fabulous student and dinner was terrific.  Afterwards we went to my sister's house for a bonfire and enjoy roasted marshmellows as we'd saved some extra calories just for that.   This morning we all went our for a walk/jog at the local track... keep an eye out for more photos.  Buc ran longer than last December and everyone had a great time.  But the cooking wasn't done yet!  Before the visit was over, Buc came back and learned a quick beef & macaroni skillet dinner.  It was such a hit that the kids ate every last bit up and we were spared the temptation of eating the leftovers.   Thanks Buc for a super weekend - definately the first of many Biggest Loser weekends to come!!

I've been a single parent for almost 10 years now. Without a doubt the toughest, but most rewarding job I've ever had. I was overwhelmed a lot of times and turned to food for comfort. I see now how much that not only hurt me, but it's also hindered their progress to be as healthy as they can be. I owe my kids these positive changes as much as I owe them to myself. They have stood by me, comforted me, encouraged me and now they are the driving force as my inspiration to get fit. This isn't a diet, this is a life change. And yes I owe my teammate a big thank you for her part in encouraging me to be the best me I can be. Thank you Bev.

 

I'm proud of you Bev for not falling into one of those traps that befall us all from time to time. I admire your courage and determination!

I'm not immune to it! LOL   Got upset about something this afternoon and self soothed with chocolate.  Granted I was also hungry at the time (that's the big hard pretzel I ate) but I was also upset (and that was the three minature Peppermint Patties and the handful of raw almonds).   The good news is that I also talked to a friend to feel better and I stopped the chocolate and didn't keep on going.  It seems to me this is a perpetual learning process.  Tomorrow Buc and his family come up for cooking lessons, a walk/run and a nice long visit... and the weight training he's got ready for me to start.  Should be a great weekend!!

 

Buc - that's a huge change for you.  I agree that in the past you would not have figured that each day mattered but agree, every day of your life counts.  Whether it's going through with a workout, changing your dinner portions or even taking a purposeful day off working out when your body needs a break - every single day matters.  I think that is a new way of thinking to most of us who have strugged with our weight and body image.  Last night I went for a beautiful twilight run and didn't focus on speed just enjoying the distance and the moment.  But all things can lead us to a better life.  I enjoyed that run immensely and this morning noticed a leg muscle I'd never met before.  Even one three mile run changed me.  All the days ahead will take  us closer to being the people we choose to be, not the people we thought we were stuck with by genetics or circumstance.

I usually work out at night after my kids are in bed. Tonight I fell asleep and slept through the time I usually work out. Before I really committed myself to this, I would have given myself the night off and said one night won't make that much of a difference. Tonight when I started going through the excuse of why I could take a night off, I realized this isn't going to work if I don't stick with it every day because one day leads to 2 days, 2 days leads to 3 and so on and that's another big part of why and how I ended up this way. I have to fight and struggle sometimes to convince myself it's all worth it, but every day it gets a little easier and slowly seeing results and making progress towards a new healthier me will make it all worthwhile!

I'm glad you've found your peace on this issue Bev. I still struggle with it mightily at times. I'm doing much better, but there are always temptations. I learned very bad eating habits growing up. Sweets when I was happy. Salty greasy things when I was sad or upset. They became my friends and my hiding places. I was painfully shy and hiding myself away in a "larger than it needed to be" body. So food filled voids when I didn't have the self confidence to find better healthier choices. Hindsight always being 20/20, it greatly saddens me to look at those old pictures of myself and remember how horribly fat and unattractive I thought I was to anyone and now realize that I was overweight, but far from the size I had projected myself being in my own mind. So I hid away instead of risking rejection and did in time grow bigger and bigger through emotional eating. It's a long walk out of that long cold dark corridor, but slowly, day by day, I'm going to find my way.

 

On the bright side, I did stay within my points again today and spent another 90+ minutes walking, riding my recumbent bike, stretching and a few other exercises.

You've heard of the saying some people "live to eat" whereas other "eat to live"?  Well, somewhere in the last month I switched from living to eat to eating to live.  As I pondered what to have for lunch today, I decided to have to okay tasting leftovers figuring they were't great tasting but had the nutrition I needed to get me through the afternoon.  That's when it hit me that my relationship to food had changed.  I used to spend lots of time thinking about my next meals in terms of taste and satisfaction.  And granted, taste and satisfaction are still important.  But nowadays, I think about the nutritional value of what I'm eating first.  Will it give me enough protein and fiber?  Will it leave me hungry 30 minutes later or will it stay with me until my next meal or snack?  What effect will it have on my blood sugar?  And if I'm running that day, will it give me the fuel I need to run?   It's a major breakthrough for someone who used to eat for comfort, fun, entertainment, etc. - just about any reason other than to live!

Days away from work scare me because as odd as it may seem. I have a set schedule that I eat at at work that I need to work on at home. I did stay on my points and journal, so that helped me mentally. I managed to get in 90 minutes of exercise today through walking, riding my recumbent bike, weight lifting and stretching. The more physically active I am always helps me maintain a better outlook and seeing and feeling improvement is always awesome!

 

I greatly enjoyed our chat too Bev. It was helpful and insightful for me. I'm very much looking forward to trading tips on the things we excel in individually. And yes with some hard work, sweat and dedication, you can definately get those buff arms Bev!

I hit the 55 total loss mark today for my overall loss since Decembeer 2006!  My daughter told me tonight that I'm her role model for healthy eating and exercise and she is proud of me for losing weight and changing my life.   It doesn't get any better than that!

 

Buc and I had a great chat this afternoon about our upcoming visit.  I'm creating a personalized cookbook for him with my favorite healthy recipes, and he is figuring out exercises to help me tone up.  Now I'll confess to something I've always wanted to have, but never imagined I could achieve.  My weight training goal is to have well defined arms like Linda Hamilton's in The  Terminator!  Buc seems to think I could get there so I'm going to go ahead and put it out there as a goal to achieve!!   

Seeing the 5 poound loss on the scales this morning was a thrill. And I'm even more excited about doing this journey. I know I can do more and look forward to the challenges ahead. Ok they still scare me a little, but I'm not as scared! :-) To celebrate I went for a 2 mile walk this evening with my kids. They are a great inspiration to me, as well as my wonderful teammate! I owe myself to do this. I owe them my best efforts for their support and encouragement.

 

Way to go Bev! I'm not sure I'll ever get the thrill out of running that you do, but seeing and hearing your excitement and enthusiasm surrounding it are wonderful! I very much look forward to sharing any kind of weight training tips with you in trade for cooking lessons! You do have fire insurance, right? ;-)

Today the kids and I went for a run and bless them they both ran/walked a mile.  I ran 2 miles before I got super tired and thirsty - I think it was lack of water.  After getting a drink from the car and walking a quarter mile, I was able to finish by running the 3rd mile.  I only just began running in September 2007 and then could only run down a hill.  It is absoutely amazing to me how well my body has responded to slow gentle running.  Now I'm up to 3 miles, 3 times per week.  My goal is to run a Spring 5K and then a Fall 10K.  Tonight we'll go to the movies and I'll enjoy some airpopped popcorn from home.

Buc - It seems to me like you are standing at the crossroads now of making a change that will forever improve and extend your life.  You've got the exercise part down pat - you excel at it!   Learning to cook is what is going to get you where you want to go and keep you there.  You're absolutely right that this is where your key to success lies. 

 

How about we schedule a weekend visit to that will help each of us?  You can teach me some strength training exercises and I will teach you how to make three easy, healthy meals.  In fact, I'll just be the coach - you will do the actual cooking.  I truly believe that if you learn and use new ways of eating healthier you will begin to have a dramatic weight loss that will astound you.  And better still, once you've lost the weight you will keep it off!    I learned to exercise.  You can learn to cook!

I think one of my biggest issue is not having much skill in the kitchen (I wish I had your talents hon!). So unfortunately I tend to go with quick and easy over healthy too often. Too much processed foods in my diet, but I am reading the labels again and trying to do better in that regard. I'm also journaling daily, which does help me keep track.  I had a good day food and exercise wise today, er yesterday! lol Thanks for the tips!

We had a snow day today which meant no school for the kids, no run for me, and temptations to eat more than usual!  I tried a new turkey lasagna crockpot recipe that smelled so delicious it was Very Tempting to overeat at dinner.  I did have two helpings but successfully resisted a third. 
 
Let's hear some of your food choices Buc - where are your trouble spots and what healthier choices have you been making?  I try to eat low GI foods as they keep your blood sugar more level, decrease hunger and satisfy you longer.  One tip that has stuck with me is the the closer a food is to it's original form, the better it will be for you.  An obvious example would be french fries vs. steamed potatos.  Chicken patties vs. baked chicken.  You can do this Buc!!  I hit 192 this morning - time to chase me down the scales!