Week 4

Well I added another pound to my loss with a total of 5 lbs lost so far. :o) I didn't do very good at writing down my food intake or keeping up with my personal goal (who knew drinking the right amount of water would be so difficult. And I can't drink any soft drinks so I have no excuse.) My points for the week were 58. Still trying to make thing better for next week.

week 4 is out the door ...

This was a stressful week of unsuccessfully potty training my toddler! Do you know how much that makes me want to eat treats?!? I did pretty well, even passing up the warm chocolate chip cookies my teen made last night. I missed a couple of days of exercising and a couple of days of my personal goal (what's up with that?!?), so I ended the week with 64 points. I was naughty on Saturday and had a donut and Blizzard from DQ. LOVE blizzards! But it means I ended the week with +1 pound. Really? From one day of two indulgences? So sad ... but I'll try to be better this week. It's hard to keep momentum for long for me, but I'll try!

Week 4 Post

67 points collected. No weight gain or loss.

I have been eating pretty much whatever or however much I wanted as long as I logged it. I lost a few points this week to snacking, but mostly I have been eating good foods and just a whole lot of it. I didn't exercise as much as I usually would because the fitness center was closed. I just did the minumum 30 minutes and counted some physical activities like mowing the lawn (which actually was a lot of work because the grass was so long that it all had to be bagged).

After taking a break just maintaining for a couple of months, I am ready to focus on actual weight loss again. I want to lose at least the last 5 pounds to get to my pre-pregnancy weight. So I am going to start tracking my calories again at 'The Daily Plate' site at www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate. This is a great way to track calories because it is easy to use and very customizable. For example, you can group foods into a meal. This is great because if you eat the same combination of foods frequently, you can add all the foods in that meal with a single click.

I know this post is getting kind of long, but I want to end with an idea that I find very helpful. For me weight loss is all about planning ahead and this tip is a step toward simplify that planning:

Dr. Roizen says people should try to automate their breakfast and lunch. "Why we get so fat is we have so many choices…we want one of everything," he says.

For breakfast, Dr. Roizen says you should have the same thing or the same small variety of things every day. Oatmeal, whole grain cereals and egg-white omelets are great options. Then, do the same thing at lunch. Find a lunch that's satisfying and stick with it. Then, come dinner time, you can enjoy a variety of options!

Here is looking forward to a great October!

still thinking about it

Thanks Amber for your comments. I am about 80% decided and 20% still thinking about it. I feel much better after setting up my first appt. with the surgeon (still to come). He is a transplant surgeon and was getting a lot of his patients rejected because of their weight. So he started doing the gastric bypass. Dr. Belnap has very few complications from his surgeries and he is considered to be one of the best. He also does the removal of excess skin when the surgery is done. I would still need to find a different surgeon to fix my breasts, unless I learn to love the flat pancake look!

My mother has known people who have had the surgery and the ones that maintain their success really do change the way they eat for the long term. I am even considering doing weight watchers for maintenance. Along with this blog. I have to have my support plan in place to keep the weight off.

I need to lose 20 pounds before the surgery. Exercise is a must. I am thinking 30 min. of walking or 30 min. of bike riding in my house. I will just have to make the time.

I would like to know the success rate of people you know who have had the surgery. Some people do maintain and some don't. Trying to get prepared to really committ to this major change.

I got 40 points for the week because I haven't been doing my food journal. I am trying not to get buried in my kid's problems with grades, behavior, needs, etc. Life is a challenge sometimes.

Better this week

So I got 61 points this week. My major obstacle is the food journal which Denise recommended I post to my fridge to help me remember to log in my food for the day. Exercise came pretty easy this week, but today I am feeling pretty lousy(sore throat, muscle aches), I went walking, hoping maybe I could sweat it out or at least give me some energy. Didn't happen, I felt so cruddy all day long, but I will not let it get to me, and I will continue on. I played soft ball with my family this week. Kind of embarrassing when my brother in-law catches up to me as we are running the bases after he hit. I used to think I was in o k shape, but have come to realize that if I am wiped out from one family softball game I probably am not in o k shape.

Week 3 = weight loss

Finally after struggling the first two weeks with exercise and snack I found some strength (and yogurt for the sweet) and got somewhere. My total for week 3 was 63 points and I actually have a -4 in lbs (I forgot to weigh myself after week 2 so...)

Send in your $$$

Reminder to get your $$ sent in so the pot is collected and ready to send to the winner. Can you believe it's already 1/4 complete? Mind you, that means we still have 3/4 to go ...

If you want to send it to me, my address is 1323 South 2950 East in Spanish Fork. I believe you all know the state. :) (Just not wanting some search engine to find my address, although I don't think anyone would care enough to do anything with it.) My zip is 84660. My last name is Brown. You can also send it to Gwen, but I'll leave it to her if she wants to post her address. Just get it sent this week!

Good luck and keep up the healthy habits!

Week 3 is free ...

Week 3 tried my endurance. Already! I did fine during the week, but once the weekend came all I wanted to do was eat treats and not exercise! I refrained, but barely. Makes me nervous for this week ... I did well last week, losing 1 more pound and collecting 66 more points. (If I can lose this week I'll be 2-teens instead of 220's. Hooray!!!) I hope I can stick w/it as I'm feeling really lazy right now ... :)

Week 3 Post

The American Fork Fitness center is closed until Thursday. I scrambled around trying to find a place to exercise this morning. It is going to be a challenge for the next couple of days. Ended up doing floor exercise in my bedroom today. I am going to try the basement tomorrow. One of the children wasn't feeling well and fell asleep on the couch last night, so the basement wasn't really available this morning.

I didn't lose or gain any weight for the week. Actually, I lose a couple of pounds at the beginning of each week and then eat like a crazy person on the weekends. Weekends are stressful and I just eat until my stomach hurts from being too full. I am so glad today is Monday!

Collected 69 points this week - trying to keep up with Denise :)

Big Decision BIG

After prayer, reasearch, and a lot of thought, I think I have decided to get gastric bypass. I know this is HUGE. So much to contemplate. I also know going into it that it will not solve the problem alone. I have to do my part and be very diligent not to gain it all back. Here's the reasoning that has led me to this point:

I have two friends who have had it done about a year and a half ago. My aunt had it done over 10 yrs ago. My two friends are really happy with the results. Both have said it is a new lease on life and they have so much more energy. My aunt has gained some back, but not all of it. She still looks much better.

I have wanted this for many years. Money has been the biggest factor. Also I was still having children. We are done with pregnancies (yes my husband got "fixed" as my sister likes to say). We have been careful with money and have good credit. We have been thinking of refinancing and just keep putting it off. Maybe it was so we could do this all at once and take out enough money to get the surgery.

My sister just sold us a car and we were able to make the payments without having to do a loan. That gives us three paid for cars. We are lucky because we have no shame about driving old cars. We think of cars as transportation, not status symbols or luxury items that we can't live without. So we shouldn't have a car payment for a long time.

So we worked out the biggest challenges. Then on to the risks. Yes, they are big and I could die. I am lucky because I have had several surgeries and I recover well. I am in remission right now with my Ulcerative Colitis. I just have a good feeling about it. All of life is a risk and I will have to put myself in God's Hands.

I am still praying about it and doing all of my research. This isn't a quick or easy thing. It will take a long time just the get to surgery. Then I have a year and a half to two years of losing before I can get the tummy tuck/breast lift. I will be doing that because I have had eight kids, and very large twin girls. They were 7 and 6 pounds. I got an umbilical hernia. It was repaired, I got pregnant--it ripped again, and then repaired, and then ripped again. That is where I am at. Still need my hernia repaired. Anyway...just dream with me for a second. Flat stomach that doesn't sit in my lap when I sit down!!!

My sister-in-law said that she thinks I will be so happy to be down again, that I won't want to go back. It worked for Star Jones. I will keep you posted on my final decision and if it all works out. They could exclude me because of my autoimmune disease. I will be with you all on this journey for the rest of my life, surgery or no. I love this blog and it gives me a chance to really express all the feelings I have about being overweight.

Oh, and I got 44 points for last week. I will need to be more diligent than ever to start getting into the habits for the surgery. Liquid diet sounds really fun. You are also supposed to lose before the surgery to help your heart and lungs be ready for the surgery. We can all lose weight in the short term when we are really motivated, the surgery just helps you take care of the bigger picture.

Try not to judge:)

My week

So I'm posting a day late because we had a power outage yesterday. My points were 57 and I lost 2 pounds. I went without a soda this whole week, but I didn't get my sprints in because some one lost the key to my treadmill. I found the key yesterday and so I just got off the treadmill after doing my sprints. Yeah me!!! I really do think they make a world of difference for me. I'm still finding it hard to not snack which is so weird because I didn't snack hardly at all when I lost those first twenty pounds, I'll chalk it up to added stress with going back to school. I feel like I've started into a somewhat normal schedule now, so hopefully that will help
For all you Biggest Loser fans out there, just finished watching the season premiere, cried like a baby, I think it's going to be a great season, just one draw back...I'm not there.

Okay I'm a Slacker

I know I never got around to posting last week, even though I had every intention. Sorry! I really struggled last week getting my exercise due to the pain in my foot, I couldn't hardly even walk. So, I took a couple days off and started icing my heal. I am not going to be able to run for a while. This morning I started doing P90X again. It is a really good circuit training program which is pretty much low impact which is what I need right now. I've got to get my foot healed before we go to disneyland next month! Anyway, I felt good doing something this morning that didn't make me hurt in a bad pain (I know I'll "feel" the burn though tomorrow). If anyone is looking for a good hour long workout-I highly recommend it. It also includes 12 different workouts so you don't plateau or get bored. Anyway, that is my update-I'll do better this week-promise!

Week 2 is through ...

I had a great week. I find it humorous that we all struggle with different things. I've got down the no treats and exercising 4x per week. It's the eating fruits and veggies that I still struggle with. Maybe if I ever grow my own garden I won't struggle w/that. Maybe one day ... In any case, fruit smoothies after dinner helped me on several days. :) Yummy! However, I don't imagine a big helping of fruit smoothies is good right before bed, so I need to work on that. However, I have lost four pounds from the start of this challenge. I'll take it! So, this week I got 66 points (65 + 1 bonus for posting last Monday).

I'll also post a recipe of a dinner we love. We've fed it to LOTS of people who have also enjoyed it. I'm not a fruit and meat kind of girl, so I don't know what possessed me to try this. It's from "Light and Tasty" Magazine, which I had a subscription to several years ago ...

Apple Chicken Quesadillas

2 medium tart apples, diced

1 c. cooked chicken breast, diced

½ c. cheddar cheese, shredded

½ c. mozzarella cheese, shredded

½ c. corn

½ c. fresh tomatoes, chopped

½ c. onion, chopped

¼ t. salt

6 flour tortillas

¾ c. shredded lettuce

¾ c. salsa

6 T. sour cream

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Place about ¾ cup on half of each tortilla. Fold tortilla in half over filling and secure with toothpicks. Place on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

2. Carefully turn quesadillas over; bake 5-8 minutes longer or until golden. Discard toothpicks. Cut each quesadilla into three wedges. Serve with lettuce, salsa and sour cream.

I've found that you can also pre-mix the filling and the apples for some reason don't brown.

I'd love any good salad recipes out there, too. But lunch ideas are the best. Thanks Jennifer!

It's Monday Again

Week 2 is done, week 3 begins. It was a crazy week with my 7 year old braking an arm and needing a little surgery. Collected 62 points and no weight gain or loss.

week two - 58 points

So I didn't do well last week either. I only got 58 points (plus one bonus for posting last Mon if we are doing that) I found that eating my fruits and vegies is easy with all the vegies growing in my garden, but when it comes to snacking and exercising I fall. It's easy to make excuses, but I'm not going to instead I'm going to list two recipes I enjoy (thanks Denise for the idea).

For lunch I found a low carb recipe that I love. I store the rinsed black beans in the fridge. They keep for about 2 weeks.

Black Bean Quesadilla

From Healthylivingonline.com

1 flour tortilla

1/2 tsp oil

1/4 cup diced scallions

1 Tbsp diced green chili peppers

1/2 oz low fat cheese

1/4 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

Coat bottom of non stick skillet with oil, place tortilla in skillet. Layer beans, cheese, peppers and onions onto half of tortilla and fold other half over top to close. Cook until bottom is brown the flip and brown other side. Serve when beans are warm and cheese is melted. Serve with salsa.

calories 297

fat 7 g (sat fat 2 g)

chol 5 mg

carbs 49 g

sodium 400 mg (less because you rinsed the black beans, even less if you get low sodium caned beans)

fiber 9 g

protein 12 g

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

From Trim and Terrific Diabetic Cooking By Holly Clegg

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour (or all purpose if you don't have wheat flour)

1/4 cup cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1/3 cup oil

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cup shredded zucchini

1/2 chopped walnuts (can be left out)

1/4 cup fat-free milk

Preheat oven to 350F Coat loaf pan with non stick spray

In bowl combine flours, cocoa, soda, cinnamon and baking powder (and vanilla if using powdered vanilla) In different bowl combine sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla. Stir in zucchini and walnuts.

Add 1/3 of flour mixture each time, add flour mixture alternating with the milk to the zucchini mixture, stirring slightly after each addition.

Transfer batter to pan and bake for 45-55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clan.

Exchanges 1 1/2 starch

1 fat

calories 177 (fat 72)

total fat 8 g (sat fat 1 g)

cholesterol 27 mg

sodium 108 mg

Total carb 24 g (sugars 14 g)

Protein 3 g

Hope we all have a great 3 week.

Will this ever get easier?

Okay, my points for the week 45. Not great and I wanted to eat way too much. Moderation in all things, except I don't want moderation. I have the constant debate with myself...do I try to eat regular food and count calories or do I do a strict lower carb diet. I lose control too much when I eat regular food, but I also want to give up when I am too strict. Why does this have to be such a struggle for me? I have no more judgement for people who have addictions. You know all the reasons why you should stop, and yet you don't feel like you can.

I am not trying to be negative, just real and honest. This will always be the biggest struggle of my life. We had a family dinner and I was noticing that my brother-in-law always orders some healthy dish like salmon and veggies or chicken and veggies. I asked him if he is doing that to be healthy or if he just really does want that instead of the cheesy, fried, heavier food. He said that is really what he likes and it isn't because he is trying to choose healthier items. I am just not that way. If I am having success, I am constantly feeling deprived of all the foods that I want to eat. I wonder if it will ever get easier. This is an addiction for me.

I will try to find some positive things to think about. I do like my fruits and veggies. I just like them with the bad stuff. I will look at the points I am missing and work on just a small goal.

My Points

So I almost forgot to post, it still feels like the weekend with the vacation. But my points were 51 this week. I am having a hard time getting into a routine for exercise, but hopefully will get there soon. That and the snacking is killing me, I just have to have my chocolate at the end of the day after the kids are in bed, just my little something to help me relax and unwind, any suggestions for a replacement healthy snack?

Week one 50 points

Let's just say that this week was hard for me. I'm still trying to find that groove where I can fit in everything. Going back to school has been just a bit stressful. I found myself grabbing for the goodies as I did my homework this week( which evened out my points to zero since my personal goal was to not procrastinate my homework 1 point, having a treat minus 1 point). I stress eat and that is something I will need to over come. I also found it hard to remember to eat on Tuesday and Thursday because they are my busiest days. Then when I get home it is straight for the refrigerator to consume whatever I can find. My weight right now is at 231. I lost twenty pounds initially when we started the blog and I've been stuck there ever since. I will be getting my butt into gear and taking off some weight this week. I need to get back to doing my intervals each night and so that will be my goal for this week, that and no more soda(which is weird because I went like 4 months with out one and then started up again). I will take the time to get on that treadmill and succeed in running those intervals. Good Luck for the up coming week, hope we can all do a little better than we have.

Week 1 is done ...

Well, week one went pretty good for me ... until Saturday! I already knew I would miss my snack point and probably go -1 since it was my first child's baptism and I was making treats to celebrate. However, what I didn't expect was that I ate no fruits/veggies all day!!! So, when I realized this at 9 p.m. when I wasn't hungry, I stuffed my face with 2 nectarines and a banana to get a few points. It was disgusting! Seriously, I almost threw up. Needless to say, LESSON LEARNED!!!

In spite of my bad day, those fruits gave me enough points to get 65 points the first week. I feel that was a really strong week and hope I can stay strong throughout. I have a habit of starting strong and then dwindling, so my personal challenge will grow as this challenge goes on.

Good luck to everyone!

Week 1 - 50 points

O.k. So I started out last week doing great. Mid week came and I let my busy life interrupt my exercise, then I spent the last two days laying flat as I hurt my back to the point i couldn't move. I let the pain get to me and gave up on everything, I raided the house for sweets and I'm sure my blood sugar sky rocketed as a result. I'm still looking froward to this. My back is doing much better today and I'm actually walking and moving. I plan on a mild exercise routine tomorrow and I will return to my healthier eating habits today. So sitting there in pain I realized that stress is my weakness trigger. i allow it to overtake me and I give up on my exercise and eating goals, at which point I conclude that I've "Failed" and I'll start anew some other time. This group is really what I'm looking for. Someone that I have to share my accountability with. So this week I only scored 50 points. Not bad considering the pain this weekend.

By the way I don't post pictures of me so this took a lot of courage for me to post. My starting weight was 185. No weight loss or gain this week.

Week #2

Hello Ladies,
I collected 65 points this week, no weight gained or lost. I am planning to eat some homemade ice cream tonight, so I won't get the 'no snack point', but I am going to be good and not go overboard with holiday eating. Hope everyone has a great Labor Day.

I'm so excited!!!!

I was so excited when I logged on and saw all the pictures. Finally the blog is turning into the support group I had envisioned. Thank you so much Denise for coming up with the challenge idea, and thanks to all of you for joining in. Now maybe I will get past the plataeu I hit after those first twenty pounds.

This picture just about makes me want to cry. I really think when I look in a mirror I can fool myself, but when I see pictures of myself there it is, the bold face truth. Sad, but I avoid having my picture taken, we haven't even had a family photo done for years. My first goal then will be to get in front of the camera moe often.

Before picture

Today is the last day of the first week, so I better hurry up and post a before picture. I am the queen of procrastination, so it's no wonder I waited until the end ...

My before pic was taken before I showered, brushed my hair or got out of my jammie bottoms. But it was that or have my 3-year-old take the picture ... and I didn't need it to look any worse! :) So, yes, I figure a before picture is supposed to look bad, so no worries, right?



I have been very excited about this fitness challenge and realize how much one day can make or break points! More on that tomorrow when I post results on my first week ...

Snacks vs. treats/sweets - a clarification

Okay, ladies, sorry I wasn't clear about the whole "no snacking" issue. I don't mean no snacks between meals, because I fully believe a healthy snack is good for your body. What I meant by no snacking is no treats/sweets. (Probably in my mind a snack = treat, which is how I got to be 200+ pounds! :) In any case, modify your points accordingly. You can snack, but not have any treats or sweets or cheats.

My Before Picture

I sure can use any extra points, so I'm posting my before picture. This challenge has been good for me, and I realize how much unhealthy "snacking" I really do. I would get a little stressed out and eat a few M&Ms and then go about my day only to find that I had 5 "snacks" of M&Ms during the day. Now that I am catching myself I realize how much I would emotionally eat throughout the day. Thanks for starting this Denise.

Before Photo

Here is my before photo. This was on my vacation and we had tea in Summerville, SC. The place was called This Whole House and you can look it up online. So much fun. If you want to read my very long blog post about my fun trip, with lots of pictures, you can check it out at aubreyssugarandspice(dot)blogspot(dot)com. I want a second house in Savannah!!!

I am thinking more about what I'm eating and these small goals are perfect for me right now. I am 267 today. I was down to 263 after vacation and I was thinking--almost under 260. Gotta keep going. Exercise is hard for me. I am going to try to figure out how to make it work. Sleep is easiest, because I can't function without at least 6 hours. My autoimmune disease makes sure of that. I am doing good about being on a schedule because of school and the kids. Let's have a good week.

Ready Set Go

I am actually going to post a picture. I think this picture says it all. I have been hovering around 187-189 for a few months now. I am not going to be following the no snacking either as I believe in healthy snacks in the form of 6 small meals a day. I will be following the clean eating program (it's a book by a lady named Tosca Reno).

My hubby took me to Fleet Foot to buy some real running shoes yesterday and maybe that will help me be able to get of the pain I've been getting from running. I have exercised everyday since Monday and I think I'll probably take Sundays only off. The key for me is changing up the exercise. If I walk or run everyday I will plateau after a few pounds and get stuck again. So, I plan on running, doing P90X (it really works!), and doing some weight lifting as well. Good luck to you all girls!

Week #1

My personal goal is to stick with the McDougall Plan for 12 weeeks (www.drmcdougall.com). It is a lowfat, starch-based eating lifestyle. So fruits and veggies will be easy. No snacking will be hard. In fact, I don't think I am going to even try the no snacking thing. Cause then I would be uncomfortable hungry during most of the day. So I'll have to see how far I can get with aiming for 9 out of 10 points.

My starting weight is 136. I lost 7 pounds in June/July so I have 3 more to go to be at my prepregnancy weight or 11 more to go to get to my ideal/college weight. My 'baby' is 17 months old. My husband and I have 6 kiddos. The oldest is 16. But it is not about the weight, huh? I like the idea of having healthy living goals that are not all about weight loss.

One of my biggest challenges coming up this week is tomorrow night. I love big bags of movie popcorn and Robert and I are going to see UP! at the dollar theater for our Friday night date. I plan to chew gum :)

Here is my before picture taken on Monday. Let's all get some points!

Good luck, ladies!

Yes, I did invite men to join our challenge, too. In fact, one who didn't realize it was me who started the challenge thought it was a very good scam. Funny.

In any case, a couple of clarifications:
- Our weeks of points will go from Mondays to Sundays.
- Count your sleeping points on the day after you sleep (so yesterday you could get a point for how you slept the night before).

And those in the contest include:
- Gwen
- Denise
- Jenn
- Jennifer
- Christy
- Christina
- Barbara
- Aubrey
- Rachel ? (still trying to confirm for sure)

Did I miss anyone?!?

Good luck! If you don't get an e-mail inviting you to be an author on the site, let us know and we'll send it to you. That way you can create your own posts and include pics.

I'm in

Okay, so I will be honest here. I thought, I will just give $10 to make Gwen happy :) I want to do this, but it sometimes feels impossible. I did so well on my vacation. Oh yeah, I got to go to Savannah, GA and Charleston, SC. It was amazing and fun. Probably why I got home and had lost 3 pounds! I had fun and was busy.

And then, Back to reality. Back to a house that my 13 and 15 yr. old sons had trashed. Laundry, Laundry and more Laundry. Kids getting ready for back to school. Garage sale that meant great deals, but more stuff to organize and store. Cooking that needs to be done now before the veggies go bad. Cleaning the pantry. And I have barely made a dent. And my sister had to find a house to buy immediately. And I dropped everything to help her because she is my best friend and her problems are my problems.

I have gained :( As soon as the stress starts building, I start eating. It is my coping mechanism. I know, everyone says replace it. I try and fail. Why can I be a smart woman who can't figure this out???

But here is a goal to set. I will post the rules for points on my fridge and try to get started. Do you think the multiple servings of brownies that I ate (after a healthy yogurt) will set me back too much?