Hello Ladies,
I just wanted to let you all know that I appreciate each and every one of you, all of your great advice,stories,tips, and support have really changed my life! Thank You. Here is some interesting stuff I found about Olive Oil

Olive Oil

    Fact:

In general, olive oil is extracted by crushing or pressing olives.  Olive oil comes in different grades of quality, depending on the type of olives used and the amount of processing involved.       

The most common varieties of olive oils are:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil - is considered to be the finest quality.  This oil comes from the first olive pressing of the highest quality olives and retains the most nutrients.  Extra Virgin Olive Oil has the greatest amount of nutrients and the best medicinal value.

Virgin Olive Oil - comes from the second olive pressing and includes some nutrient loss.

Pure Olive Oil - undergoes some processing, such as filtering and refining.

Extra Light Olive Oil - goes through considerable processing and retains only a mild olive flavor.

     Fact:    

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a heart-healthy oil. 

It lubricates and nourishes  mucous membranes and the skin when applied topically and used regularly in the diet. 

It is an excellent natural laxative and stimulates the secretion of hepatic (liver) and pancreatic juices.  Olive Oil helps cleanse gallstones and liver congestion. 

Power Foods

They say it takes 3 weeks to gain new habits.  As we wrap up week 3, we should all be set then, right? Ha!  Maybe some of you have it all down pat, but for me I am far from that. :)  There are some things that have been easy for me and I feel I have established the habit, but there are others that are still a work in progress. 

The good news is I am starting to feel better.  Yay!  In fact, I had worked out yesterday at the gym in the morning and when I went to Smith's last night and drove by "24-hour Fitness" I wanted to go and work out again.  Is that the craziest thing you ever heard!?  Seriously, I came home and told my hubby and wondered if I was insane for thinking that.  Could I actually start craving to work-out!?  Oh me, oh my! :)

On another note, I was reading one of my favorite magazines (Better Homes and Gardens) the other night before bed and there was this entire page about "Power Foods" and thought I'd share a little of it with ya'll.

"It's official: The way to one's heart really is through the stomach.  Countless studies have shown that what we eat -for better of worse- has a major impact on a host of risk factors for cardiovascular disease.  Instead of worrying about what you shouldn't eat, focus on what you should.  Simply upping your intake of a few critical nutrients can make a positive difference for your heart."

So what are those power foods?

• Berries
• Chia Seeds
• Broccoli
• Fish
• Dark Greens
• Beans
• Nuts
• Oats
• Olive Oil
• Pure Pomegranate Juice

The key heart nutrients found in these "power foods" are:

Antioxidants - which protects the heart and blood vessels from harmful free radicals.  Vitamins A, C and E are found in some of these foods.

Fiber - which reduces levels of harmful LDL cholesterol and might ease chronic inflammation.

Electrolytes - which helps ensure steady blood pressure and a healthy heart rhythm.  They include potassium, magnesium, and calcium.

Phytonutrients - which are plant compounds that protect arteries from inflammation and help ward off blod clots.

Unsaturated Fats - which reduces inflammation and promotes healthy cholesterol levels.  Monounsaturated fats and omega-3s are two you'll find in these foods.

I think we could all try to add at least one of these "power foods" into our day, don't you think?

So in honor of "Love Month"...

POWER FOOD=HEALTHY HEART

You’ve Lost Weight. Now How Do You Keep It Off? 28

inShare2

Losing weight is hard enough. Keeping it off is even harder. Now a new study by researchers at Penn State suggests that the techniques that work for losing weight aren’t necessarily the same as those that help keep you slim.

First, the researchers surveyed more than 1,100 people who had achieved significant weight loss and maintained it. The researchers identified 36 weight-loss and weight-maintenance practices that at least 10% of the group used.

Then the researchers conducted a national telephone survey of overweight people (with a BMI of 25 or higher) who had tried to lose weight and keep it off with varying success: about 11% reported successfully losing weight, defined as losing at least 10% of body weight, and 21% were able to maintain that loss for at least a year. The researchers asked them how frequently they employed the 36 previously identified techniques: “often or very often” or “seldom or never.”

The survey found that people who lost weight successfully did so by participating in weight loss programs, cutting back on sugar and carbs, eating healthy snacks, not skipping meals and participating in different types exercise.

Not all techniques that led to initial weight loss were associated with weight maintenance, however. Continually switching up an exercise regimen helped people lose weight, for instance, but those who kept weight off tended to stick with a consistent exercise program. That may be because experimenting with a variety of workout routines may help people as they’re trying to lose weight, but once they’ve found what works for them, they tend to stick with it for maintenance.

The study noted four strategies that were associated with weight maintenance but not loss:

· Eating a diet rich in low-fat proteins

· Following a consistent exercise program

· Rewarding yourself for dieting and exercising

· Reminding yourself of why you need to keep weight off

Still, say many nutrition and obesity experts, the basic underlying principles of weight loss and maintenance are the same: you have to eat a healthy diet and increase your exercise. People who lose weight and keep it off tend to eat significantly healthier foods and do a lot more exercise than the average American.

But what may shift between weight-loss and maintenance phases is a person’s mindset: rather than focusing on actively losing weight in the short term, people have to start focusing on long-term, permanent lifestyle changes and behaviors, if they want to maintain the weight that’s been lost. The key to success, experts agree, is motivation, not necessarily the particulars of your weight-loss program.

I HAVE IT IN ME TO GET IT OFF ME!!!

Everyone,

I keep thinking and telling myself, I have it in me to get it off me...

This week has had different challenges for me than the prior week. But I have not given up at all. And not let the harder days make me stop what I need and want for myself. Exercise was great and lots of water this week too. My hardest obstacles was wanting to eat or say nibble at night and after 8pm. Also I have been a radar for my girls Halloween candy, yes Halloween candy not even been a temptation until this last week crazy.. Which I believe was due to stress eating for me. Which I will need to learn and deal with in different ways for a new healthy me. Here we go to another week on our healthy new life and we ALL have it in us to get to get it off us.

Nathan

This is my amazing nephew Nathan, he is 5 years old. Nathan has brittle bones disease, which means he is extremely fragile. Nathan averages one broken bone a month. But when Nathan breaks he doesn't let that stop him! He loves to play base ball he is on the angel’s hands team, which is a league for children with disabilities. 

 

Nathan is my hero; he is the strongest 5 years old I know. Two days ago Nathan was sitting in his wheel chair waiting for his mom to put him in his car seat. Usually when she does this he sits very still and holds his balance very well. But for some reason, he shifted he weight and fell head first onto the asphalt. His mother panicked picked him up put him into his car seat and rushed him to primary children’s medical center. Where they discovered that Nathan had broken both of his legs, one arm, and a skull fracture, which resulted in a brain bleed. The first night Nathan was at primary children’s he was in the ICU. Having muscle spasms and large amounts of pain. But on Friday Nathan was moved to a regular floor. His brain bleed is healing and he is well enough to play with his toys. I was able to go up to Primary's and talk with him last night. I asked him if I could come and see him at the hospital on Saturday. He said, "Yes, but if I am not here I am at my house, But if I am not at my house I am here. But if I am not here or my house I am in my car driving." Nathan is still at Primary’s but is hoping to return home tomorrow.

When I first heard what happened to Nathan on Thursday I was shocked and scared, fearing that he might not make it through this time. I wanted to break down and cry, I wanted to curl up, stuff my face with chocolates, cookies and Ice cream and try not to think about what was happening with Nathan. But I knew that now was not the time to mourn, he wasn't dead and he isn't going to die. I needed to be strong just as how Nathan is strong. I decided that I was still going to eat something healthy, and make that day a great day. When I made that choice I knew that I am in charge of my body. I can choose when times are stressful what I eat and if I want to exercise.

This is Nathan; he is my inspiration, and my hero.

.

TGIF....

Ohhhhh goodness. I am really struggling today and kind of in a "I don't care what I eat today". Ugh! I know this isn't good so I went on line to try and find some inspirational images or quotes. I really liked this one. Kind of goes along with the whole "Weight loss is a lifestyle change" attitude we need to have. I hope you are all doing better than me and I will see y'all early Monday morning!!! Eeeeek.

Lifestyle Changes

There’s no such thing as a diet to me, because you can go on a diet which means you can go off a diet. Everything is a lifestyle change. And that is a quote that you need to put on your refrigerator.
Everything is a lifestyle change!
                                                        -Shaun T, creator of the Insanity program



“If you focus on results, you will never change. If you focus on change, you will get results.”
                                                        -Jack Dixon

Slow and steady is the best way to lose weight

Remember that, however tempting fad diets may be, slow and steady is the best way to lose weight. Studies have found that people who lose too much weight too quickly often gain it back, and then some. Those who lost weight slowly were more likely to keep it off. A rate of 1 to 2 pounds per week is generally considered ideal and practical; if you exceed that, you may be losing water weight or lean muscle instead of fat.

Cutting too many calories to speed up weight loss may restrict your diet so much that in addition to losing pounds and inches, you also lose important nutrients. That can result in feeling sluggish as a result of a slowing metabolism. A slow metabolism won’t burn calories effectively, making it harder to drop those pounds.
From WebMD

SLEEP

Lose weight while you sleep. 

 It sounds like something you'd hear on a late night infomercial  just around the time you are reaching for that bag of cookies because, well, you can't sleep.

In fact, have you ever experienced a sleepless night followed by a day when no matter what you ate you never felt full or satisfied? If so, then you have experienced the workings of leptin and ghrelin.

Leptin and ghrelin work in a kind of "checks and balances" system to control feelings of hunger and fullness, explains which is produced in the gastrointestinal tract, stimulates appetite, while leptin, produced in fat cells, sends a signal to the brain when you are full.

So what's the connection to sleep? "When you don't get enough sleep, it drives leptin levels down, which means you don't feel as satisfied after you eat. Lack of sleep also causes ghrelin levels to rise, which means your appetite is stimulated, so you want more food,"

So ladies...make sure no matter how much you want to stay up and catch up with your DVR, you MUST go to bed early. Take the TV OUT of your room, clean it, make it a place that is calming and relaxing, get some candles or white noise, softer sheets or blanket,eye covers, ear plugs ...whatever helps you relax and get better zzzzzzzz

SLEEP = WEIGHT LOSS........so very cool to hear:)

When life hands you Lemons make sugar-free lemonaid

Yes, the rumors are true. We are moving out of the ward (sniff, sniff) I guess a few ladies didn't get the email I sent.  Its a huge surprise to us. We were so excited about staying. But I guess this is one of those God opening a door situations....quite literally.

I'm still going to be part of the group but I'm pulling myself out of the competition - this time.  Honestly I can't keep track of everything right now with having to pack and move in 3 weeks time.  You read that right, we have to be out by May 10th. Yes, I'm stressed! But at least I'm not turning to food to help me calm down.

I'll be back in when we do the next challenge.

I've decided to donate my entry fee to the winners ;) You have all been such a huge help to me, $10 each winner is a huge bargain for the benefits I'm receiving from the group.

I'm totally swamped this week. Hopefully next week will be a little better after our due diligence is all done.  We're praying we can close by the 5th.

Take care everyone.  I'm soooo sad to move out of the neighborhood but trust me, for better or worse, this is NOT the last you'll see of me (cue the sinister music).

Aimee

I had such a fun time with you all yesterday and am so excited to see our numbers climb. Yesterday I felt like stuffing my face all day and when I got to work today, I saw this picture and thought I would give everyone a good laugh. It is sooo cute (to me) but I don't want to resemble him AT ALL. So, eat LESS and MOVE MORE. You can all do it and I am proud of each of you. Have a terrific Tuesday and go team go!!!

Week 3: Skip the white foods.

In today’s hectic, fast-paced world, we are inundated with nutrient lacking foods. Consumed mostly for convenience sake, processed and refined foods have led us to a decline in health and elevated medical costs. Having to consume more of them to “fill up” due to their absence of usable nutrients, yet high sugar and calorie counts, we have become an obese, energy depleted society.

Any white, refined food is going to steal nutrients and energy from your body. White flour, white sugar, white table salt. All of these foods are stripped of nutrition, vitamins and minerals, and offer only the jolt of carbohydrate or sodium. Without any supportive nutrients, your body must draw on its own precious stores to metabolize the refined food, leading to depleted energy over time.

An example would be the consumption of white bread. Have you ever eaten at a restaurant that served French bread before the main course? Wolfing down the bread will make your stomach physically full, but you'll still be hungry. Since white bread is basically void of any useful nutrients, your body wants to continue eating despite the fact that your stomach is full. To digest, assimilate and then eliminate the white bread requires a large energy expenditure. As a result, the net energy gain from it is very low. In fact, if the bread is buttered, the result can actually be a net loss.

This week feed your body the energy it needs! Only whole grains, avoid all white and processed foods including white rice!

Pita Pizza

Coby and I were talking earlier at brunch about these pita pizza's and I thought I'd share.  They are super delicious and healty too!  You basically take the pocket bread and put your favorite (healthy) pasta sauce on it and load it with veggies and a little cheese (or not).  You could also put on your favorite (again keeping it healthy) BBQ sauce and add chicken.  There are 5 that come in a bag, so I'll just make them all up and cook at 350 for 20 or so minutes.  Then I'll either freeze or wrap them individually so they're ready to heat-up quick for the next time. :)

Here's a pic of the pocket bread bag.  I bought several bags of these at the Sunflower Market and just freeze them until I'm ready to use.

Nutrition Facts (for 1 pocket bread):

Calories - 90

Total Fat - 0.5g

Total Carb. - 19g

Dietary Fiber - 3g

Sugars - <1g

Protein - 3g

* Ingredients: Organic 100% stone ground whole wheat flour, water, carrots, barley flour, corn flour, millet flour, brown rice flour, oat flour, rye flour, fresh yeast and sea salt. *

Give it a try and let me know what ya'll think!  Have a happy and healthy week 3!

2 Weeks Down!

This pretty much says it all. Thanks to all of you. You have all motivated me to not give up. The things we are doing are becoming a new way of life and living. It is all worth it. They say a habit forms in 2 weeks. Bring on week 3!

Hello everyone

I wanted to give all you ladies a big Thank You!!! I have enjoyed and loved participating this week. I look forward to doing the 2nd round as well. For my self I have started to track my steps this week. Wow not one day have I made the 10,000 steps which is what the GOAL and also is the healthy amount. But I've tried too, and everyday has been higher steps which I have almost made it!! And had a better outlook and feel that I have done better over all myself. Great job to everyone...

Your Pantry

What makes resisting temptation difficult for many people is they don't want to discourage it completely.

Franklin P. Jones

 

Your pantry is the cornerstone of your diet. You will eat what is in it, so make sure what’s in it fits into your new lifestyle. I have five rules when it comes to this:

1.      I don’t stock any unhealthy food in my house that will tempt me.

2.      If my kids want an unhealthy snack, but I may be tempted to eat it- I don’t get it, period- because no matter how strong my will power is at that moment it will fail me eventually.

3.      If I have a healthier snacks at my house that I or my kids can eat once a week or so. I put them somewhere out of sight- way out of sight- not in your pantry out of sight, but way, way out of sight. Somewhere it would take more effort than your willing to exert- out of sight, like you have to get a stool to get it or you have to walk out to the garage.

4.      And if I’m tempted to go to that effort, I throw it away! I throw away a lot of food. It is no big deal to me, because I don’t like to be tempted. There is rarely a treat in my house that I make like cookies or brownies, cake or cupcakes that is eaten through- I enjoy the process and the pleasure of a treat, but not the gluttony of bingeing.

5.      And my new rule, if someone is kind enough to make my family a yummy treat- I will be grateful for the thought and gesture, but the treat will be given away (to my husband’s office) or thrown away. It is the thought that counts!

Remember- Discipline weighs ounces, regret weighs tons.

This made me laugh....sad...but true!!!

Dirty Dash

Ok..so I did it....I signed up for the DIRTY DASH in June. My goal was to sign up for some kind of marathon this year, but why not make it more fun right? Its a 3 mile obstacle course in the MUD. How fun is that? From what I hear most people dress up in costumes. Not sure if I will do that yet... I have 3 people I am already going with and would love if anyone one of you want to join us. Here is the link.

 http://www.thedirtydash.com/

If this is not for you,  I still encourage you all to set a goal for yourself and try something new.

“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.”

another hello!

Hello girls!

I just wanted to pop on for a minute and say way to go!!  Was it 23 total lbs. lost last week?  I just wanted to let you all know that I am finding a lot of strength from y'all.  I appreciate the pick me ups (because I have needed plenty), and the information that is being shared.  It is good to get to know some of you better!   Good luck this coming week!!

Be Who You Are

I have always loved this Dr. Seuss quote. But I have never thought of it in this way...Be who you are...is your weight stopping you from being who you really are? I know that mine did. I wanted to hide. Now I can be as crazy as I want. I can swim, I can run, I can be crazy with my grandkids, I can do yoga, I can sing...the list goes on and on. And if you think I'm crazy, that's ok.

Leslie

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today is the day to tell yourself how much you love yourself! Step by step, inch by inch, you are improving the way you look and the way you feel. You are the most important! Love yourself!

Looking at yourself in the mirror and being happy is hard enough. Imagine how it

would be if you could look past your skin, and see the toll your weight has on your

bones, organs and other body tissue.

You are worth all the blood, sweat, and tears that this 8 week challenge brings. Even the littlest improvements will add up to so much more.

I know that I will never have a model perfect body and I will always have flabby upper arms, but I feel great! I have more energy than I have had for 20 years of being overweight. I am not at my goal, but I am working hard to get there. It may take me months, but that's ok.

Praise your accomplishments - no matter how small.

I love all of you! Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

Leslie

WEEK 1 RESULTS

It has come to my attention that it may be best to just post our overall results in weight loss and not post everyone's stats. So here is what I will do. Each week I will enter in the numbers on my chart then tally the total loss. If you want to know your own personal stats just call, text or email me anytime and I will let you know. That way no one is discouraged if they are last for the week. We are worried people may be brought down if they are posted as last place. So with that said..............
We lost as a group a total of 23 pounds!!!!!! YAY!!! Everyone lost this week and whether big or small amounts its a loss and it will all add up. Good Job ladies and keep your head in the game and stay focused.

TIME

Okay, First off HELLO!! I finally made it onto this blog:)
I think we all did great. I am sorry people are feeling down about what they lost or should I say "didn't" lose.  DON'T LET THAT STOP YOU.  I know we are making the right choices and doing the right thing. 8 weeks into this we should have at LEAST gained habits and hopefully along the way lost weight. Many of us have already talked about doing another 8 week challenge after this. So learn from this and know that its not over in just 8 weeks we will keep going until everyone is in the right habits. Its nice we have each other and can be open and honest as well. Here is my can of worms I am dealing with right now.
So its now 5:30 and I have gone non stop since 6:30 this morning. I haven't had a moment to sit and gather my thoughts till now and even then I still have kids asking me when dinner is ready and piles of papers to go through and a house that is needing to be cleaned. I have to sit and input all our scores from today and post them, find time to write in my journal and the WORST part is ....I HAVE NOT EXERCISED YET AAAHHHH. Do I have time? Yes....Do I have motivation? No....where is it? Why can't I find it today. Once my kids get fed and into bed then I will force myself to work out 45 min....maybe try to squeeze in another 3 mile walk. But at this time of day I am so done and so tired and just trying to wrap it all up so I can lay in bed and relax and not hear anyone asking me for anything. That will be my reward tonight...is bed hahaha. I can do this I know I can...its just a few more hours,  one more work out and then I can get back on track in the morning. Wish me luck:)

Beauty Redefined

Okay ladies, so it's been officially 1 week into this challenge and after today's weigh-in I, like Aimee, have felt down in the dumps.  I really thought I would have lost more.  I came home and stood in the kitchen for 10 minutes just standing there, feeling depressed.  Then I shook it off, got breakfast made, woke the kids up and got them ready and off to school.  I popped in a workout video and really pushed myself.

Still feeling down, I hopped on the computer and checked my email and some blogs.  I pulled up a friends blog and her recent post was all about her "not being insecure" anymore.  To basically embrace who she was and what she has to offer, even if she was "not the ideal" image the world portrays.  At the end of the post I found this...

*"Beauty Redefined" has launched a campain to raise money for billboards that promote positive body image across the U.S.*

This was a reality check for me.  Although this is a "friendly" competition and weight loss is my goal, it's not about how much I lose during this challenge, it's about gaining healthy habits and feeling better.  And in this past week I have begun to develop those and "gain friendships" in the process.

So here's to week 2 and all of you smart, talented and beautiful women-no matter our size :)!

Discouraging morning...I mean...COMMON!!!

I have the feeling that I'm not alone when I say "COMMON!!!" I mean, 6 oz?? That's like not even a glass of water and I probably am down that much because I forgot to drink my water right when I woke up this morning. Talk about discouraging.

As I was talking to Anthony about it on the way to take him to work I was in tears. I mean, literally, shouldn't be driving because I can't see right tears. Its SO STINKIN FRUSTRATING to be SO good all week and then not to see that scale move.  NOW I remember why I threw my scale away. The scale is NOT my friend!!!  

Anthony reminded me that I never see a difference in my weight until after about a month. Thank goodness this is an 8-week challenge. He also reminded me that I'm doing this to get healthy, not to loose a ton of weight (haha, little does he know I feel like I have an actual TON to loose.)

Anyway, I was discouraged this morning, I know a few of you were too. I posted this poem on my blog Synergy In Me on Sunday.  I thought I'd share it because honestly, its one thing that truly keeps my attitude in the right place.  Rather than repost it here, just follow this link.

Much love,
Aimee

Finally!

My mother joined Weight Watchers (WW) when I was 10 years old. She lost over 60 LBS and worked for WW for 9 years. When my mother changed her life style my life changed too. I grew up drinking all Diet sodas, eating all low fat dairy products, and eating many, many salads. When I got married and moved out I Started eating anything and EVERYTHING I wanted. In 2 years I gained 70 lbs. So, after New Year’s this year I decided to lose some weight. The first thing I did was give up Diet sodas. In one week I lost 4 lbs due to water retention. The second week I lost 3 lbs, I started eating healthier and using MyFitnessPal app. Then Monica asked me if I would like to join the 8 week challenge. I am so excited to be a part of the eight week challenge! I feel that I am learning great healthy habits. One day when I am a mother I will know how to make healthy choices for my children and teach them to make their own healthy choices. Right now, my favorite part about the 8 week challenge is that my husband has been working with me to be healthy. He has lost 7lbs so far and loving the process! He talks about wanting to do a couples 8 week challenge in the neighborhood. One of the hardest parts of the challenge is not eating after 8pm. Most nights I am not home till after 10 pm. Last Monday I got off of work at the flower shop at 7:30pm and I was racing home to get something for dinner before 8 pm. At 7:45 pm I was 15 minutes from home; I found the closest subway and bought a sandwich. I sat in their parking lot scarffing down the sandwich with my eye on the clock I made it with just 2 minutes to spare. But That is just one minor bump in the road to a healthier life.

Week 2: Cheese and the Obesity Epidemic

This next week our Weekly Focus will be, Limit Fat- Reduced or no fat options only. Read Labels this week, be careful if you're eating out and especially be leery of one undercover offender, cheese. 

Back when we first started this challenge I told a group (none of you) that I was talking with that I thought a lot of my weight problems had to do with cheese. I was taken back a little by the reaction I got-it was clear that we will defend our cheese at all cost, even if that cost is obesity. I considered that I was being too extreme- but not anymore- I am standing up and I saying, NO MORE CHEESE!!!! (At least full-fat cheese) I love cheese, love it, especially good imported cheese, but just as with sugar, cheese should be an occasional thing not the accompaniment to every meal. My inspiration...http://crazysexylife.com/2012/cheese-and-the-obesity-epidemic/.  An interesting quote from this post is, “in 1909, the average American consumed only 3.8 pounds of cheese in a year’s time. Today, that number is pushing 34 pounds.” The average American eats 30 more pounds of cheese a year…30lb! I just did the math on that and that means an extra 54,240 calories a year over our ancestors AND the calories are mostly from fat! That can't be healthy. If we just give up cheese we could lose 15lbs in a year! Join me and give up the ABUSE of CHEESE!!!

Just for laughs!

My scale has not been very nice to me, lately. I have been very diligent in following the plan, but the scale has actually been going up!!! Well only 4 ounces, but still! Hoping the scale will be my friend by Monday!!! Hope you are having better luck than me!!!

Another fabulous website

I CANNOT believe I forgot to tell you ladies about Dani Spies. I use her stuff all.the.time!!

But I got an email this morning with this video and remembered why I love Dani's stuff so much! Clean, easy, usually five ingredients or less. :)  Here is a recipe for a Valentine's day desert.  ENJOY!!

Oh and BTW, Dani just had a baby and she looks amazing!

I Quit Sugar progress

Hey Ladies!!

Just a quick note to pop in and say that today is my day 1 of Week 3 of  "I Quit Sugar".  Honestly, I'm not missing sugar at all....yet.  I just have to keep in mind not to lick my fingers if I'm giving Lizzie some applesauce or something and I have to get creative with snacks.  Old habits being replaced by new ones.

I worked out today with a video that used to be so easy for me. Not anymore. That was discouraging but I did do it!! And I did all of the pushups!! 16 regular tempo, 8 double count and 4 quadruple count. Wowza! I was shaking!!!

Oh, yes, one more thing. I've been totally swamped today but IF you took your own measurements please get them into me by tonight (I know its late so tomorrow morning at the latest).  Otherwise they won't count for the finals.  

Love you ladies!!

Aimee

Thought for the Day

We have just begun the battle. We are strong. We will win this!

Week 1: Plan For Success

I hope all of you are staying strong! I felt hungry most the day, even after the 5 meals I ate today (I'm not a pig, they are mini meals) and the snack Lizzy feed my at her house, thank you, Lizzy. I think it must have been a lack of water in the morning- don't make my mistake, drink half or more of your water before noon! It will help you feel more satisfied all day- as Monica said, some times when you feel hungry you are just thirsty. 


Yesterday I wrote down my goals, among many goals I wrote,  not use food for anything it is not; entertainment, unwinding, stress, socializing. Food should be food, but so much that goes into my mouth is not "Food for Food", it is "Food for Fun", "Food for Boredom", "Food for Pleasure", "Food for Comfort". There are so many unhealthy habits that relate to food! Eating food just feels good and it can be so BAD!!! What are some of your goals?

On to the topic at hand, I thought it would be helpful to post the list of requirements for Focus Points this week:

Weekly Focus Bonus Points- Week 1: Plan For Success

• Day 1: Write down your goals for this challenge and put them somewhere where you can see them. Avoid putting a weight loss number down.  Instead, focus on concrete things you can control like eating more vegetables and walking 3 times/ week.  Try to focus on making realistic, permanent lifestyle changes instead of dieting.
• Day 2: Discover your food triggers. What makes you succumb to temptation?  For some, if it's in the house, that's all the temptation they need. For others, stress is a trigger. Discovering your triggers is a big step toward self-control, which is the basis for eating less. Today, make a list of your weight management stumbling blocks and food triggers.
• Day 3: Take care of your emotional needs: A large percentage of overeating is linked to emotions like loneliness, stress, and anger.  One of the best ways to take care of our emotional needs is to be thankful:  It is not happy people who are thankful; it is thankful people who are happy. Today, write a list of things you are thankful for and place it somewhere you can read it every day.
• Day 4:  Instead of ‘filling the void’ with food, develop different habits. Reward yourself in healthy ways, and be ready to experience setbacks. Cope with your feelings by talking to friends, listening to music, writing or praying. Instead of using food as a reward for a job well done, come up with a different way of patting yourself on the back, such as going out to see a movie.  Make a list of 25 things to do rather than eat.  Keep it handy and make sure you use it, especially if you’re being tempted.
• Day 5: Prep healthy snacks and meals and keep them handy in Ziploc bags or Tupperware. Do this in the morning for today, or anytime today for tomorrow’s snacks and meals. Preparation is the key to success.
• Day 6: Today, don’t go longer than 3 hours without a healthy meal/snack. It is important to keep your body in an anabolic state and if you're not feeding your body regularly it will go into a catabolic state and begin eating muscle for fuel. This doesn't always have to be solid food, but could be a meal replacement or a protein drink with some fruit. As long as you're giving your body fuel to work with you'll be fine. Also, by eating frequently you help prevent cravings for junk food, as when you get too hungry and end-up desiring fast food to satisfy your hunger.

Really? Only Day 2?

How fitting that today we are to write our "food triggers," because what's a girl to do when this is the face...oh and if you could hear the sound...I've had to deal with All.Day.Today!? Yes, he is still in his jammies from last night mind you and dare I say I am too.

It has just been one of those days and all I want to do is eat one of these...or maybe all 3!  They've been staring at me begging me to eat them.

*Courtesy of my mother by the way, or rather not so courteous. :)*

I keep telling myself I will feel guilty...yes I will feel SO GUILTY! I must give them to my children and STAT!

Recipe for Broccoli, Cauliflower & Potato Chowder

Here is the link to my blog with the recipe for the soup I made yesterday. Not to be confused with the original recipe I posted yesterday from Skinny Taste. I think that would be good too but I just did my thang to the soup yesterday. The recipe is today's post. Enjoy!!! http://www.synergyinme.blogspot.com/

I just wanted to say Good Job Girls! I think comitting to this challenge is the hardest thing to do and definitely the first step to a new you. The food yesterday was amazing and full of flavor. Yay - we CAN be on diets and still eat tasty food. I am excited to go on this journey with you all. Good luck today and believe in yourself!!! Cheya P.S. Leslie you look AMAZING!!!! Proud of you.

The Ups and Downs of Day #1

Ok, I'll admit it. I ate the most delicious piece of caramel chocolate at The Chocolate Cottage!

But I did go to my Bikram Yoga Class and do a 90 minute class. Bikram yoga is done in a room that's 105 degrees. I am sure the chocolate calories just melted away.

Just in case you don't know, I have lost 60 pounds. Yes that's me at over 200 pounds!!! I still have at least 15 more pounds to go, but I have been stuck for the last 3 months. I am hoping our 8 week challenge and all you wonderful ladies will help me reach my goal. All the prizes are nice, but the biggest reward is feeling wonderful ! Fitting into smaller clothes is pretty nice, too! If I can do it, you can, too! Two of my favorite sayings are: "Don't let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do!!!" and "You'll see it when you believe it!!!"Believe in yourself!!! And # 1 Drink lots of water!!!!

Leslie

P.S. Thank you for the most delicious chicken and salad today delivered to the preschool. It was to die for!!!

Great Luncheon Ladies!!

Thank you to everyone who was able to come to my place for lunch today. We had a great time and yummy food!!!

The recipe I made can be found here.  Tomorrow I'll be posting "my" version of the soup on my personal blog if you're interested.  I'll update this blog with that link once it is up.

I have the measurements for the following ladies: Denae, Becky, Coby, and Lindy

I need the measurements for everyone else.  Please give me a call and I'll make myself available to you to take your measurements.(Thank you Becky for the measuring tape, still can't find mine)  We decided this would be the best way to do measurements because if the same person does the measurements every time we are more likely to get consistent readings.

If, however, you want to have your spouse or a friend help you here are the directions.

Using a tape measure and with a buddy take these measurements:
Waist - at your navel (it doesn't move so it will be consistent)
Hips - at the fullest part of your hips - usually around the hip bone and bum
Chest - have the person stand in back of you while you hold the tape measure over the fullest part of your bust.
Left Arm - Flexing your bicep at the apex of the bicep
Right Arm - Same as above
Left Thigh - midway between knee and hip bone
Right Thigh - same as the above

Please keep track of your measurements. I'll create a google doc later today so you can add to the document if you aren't having me take the measurements.

If you hit a plateau before the 8-weeks is up please let me know and I'd be more than happy to take your measurements again to help keep you motivated.

Also - we discussed doing before and after pictures but didn't get around to it at my place.  Please have your spouse or a friend take a before picture of you TODAY. This is your goodbye picture. Don't worry about it not looking fabulous. Mine looks pretty FLABulous (LOL) but this is you saying goodbye to the less healthy you.  Believe me you'll be happy to see the old picture once you're journey is on its way.  We will post these pictures after our first 8-weeks is done.

Don't forget to write your goals down.  I'm creating an affirmation printable for those of you who might be interested in having some affirmations printed out to hang around their homes. Say them OUT LOUD!! Reprogram your subconscious so the new habits you're making will stick.

Here are a few suggestions to creating goals -
1- Make them specific.
2- Set realistic deadlines
3 - Set yearly, quarterly, monthly, and weekly goals as well as daily.
4- The secret to achieving your goals is to identify the EMOTIONAL reasons behind the goals. The more emotion you feel the more real they become.
5 - After you've written your goals write them as affirmations in present tense.  For example my first yearly goal is to loose 100 lbs by January 1st, 2013. So My goal reads "I will loose 100lbs by January 1st, 2013." My affirmation reads "I feel so grateful and fantastic now that I have made the changes in my life necessary to have lost 100 lbs."  Fake it till you make it people!! The more you say it out loud and read it to yourself the more real they become.

Don't forget to follow the link on the blogger email to register as an author to the blog if you haven't already.

Last - you may have noticed the blog url and name have changed. Coby felt it would be better to use the "shrinking" pants rather than "skinny" pants as skinny might have some negative connotations to it.

I think that is it for my update. It was great to see everyone who was able to come! We missed the sisters who couldn't come and hope to see you soon.

Take care everyone!! Don't forget to update the blog as you desire - this forum belongs to all of us.

Aimee

Skinny Sisters Unite!!!

Hey There Skinny Sisters! Our blog is up and running.  Right now this is the preliminary format but I'll be adding more to it as time goes by. I figure at least part of my day is spent on blogger doing my Synergy In Me blog anyway :)  EVERYONE should have received an email that you are now admins on the blog.  To make a post simply go to the url which is www.ssskinnypants.blogspot.com and log in using your email address. If you already have a google account and want to use that as your ID just go into permissions and change your email address that you use.  To add a new post simply click on the Pencil.  Please remember that we are all here to uplift and strengthen each other so if you're having a rough day go ahead and tell us so we can lift you up.


My sister has agreed to come up with a cute logo for us.   As soon as I know everyone has checked in as admin I'll be making the blog private so only we can see it.  Unless would prefer to have it public?  I don't see any reason for making it public.

I'll be adding wigets to include the schedule for the brunch. Lizzy you can also post google docs here.

Does anyone have any further suggestions about what they would like to see on the blog? How about a tab for recipes from the brunches? Or buttons to other websites we find useful?  I'm open for suggestions!!

Well, that is about it!!

Love you ladies lots!!

Aimee