Dedication last week lends a nice weight loss...

So, I lost 3 pounds last week...felt awesome! I ate healthy, BUT I worked out. And it paid off. However, this weekend was a BBQ and I came home to a fridge with no food. So, I really haven't eaten right since yesterday.

Time to grab a few things tonight to get me through this week before I move...WOO HOO!

Delicious & Healthy 'Burgers

So, I'm a big burger girl. I don't really like red meat a lot UNLESS it's in a burger. But I can't eat red meat all the time.

As an alternative, we've all had the turkey or chicken burgers. BUT...I took it to the next level this evening. I made a sweet & spicy turkey burger.

Serves 4

1 package 98% fat free ground turkey
1 small can roasted diced green chilis
1/2 cup pineapple chunks
1/4 cup cilantro
4 whole wheat buns

Put chilis, pineapple & cilantro into processor. Pulse to break up pineapple & then blend for 5 seconds.

Put turkey into large mixing bowl & add chili mixture to ground turkey. Knead into meat, but be careful NOT to over-knead. Mixture will be wet, but you need this as turkey dries out.

Form patties. Salt & pepper top side. This S&P'd side should go down first. Then add S&P on the other side once on the gril. Cook on each side for 4-5 mins on grill.

I used Heinz57 as my condiment but you could use a chipotle-lite mayo, mustard or BBQ sauce.

I also made my spiced sweet potato fries as a side. Which is just 1 sweet potato cut into fries. Put into a bowl and then dust with your favorite spices. (I use chili powder, cumin, onion POWDER, garlic POWDER, paprika & ground mustard.) Bake 30-45 mins @ 400 & then turn the broiler on to fully crisp-up the fries.

ENJOY YA'LL!

Motivation

As with most things in life, there has to be some self deprecating thoughts to actually psych yourself out of something. And I believe this is what I did with this little weight loss competition. I really haven't dedicated myself to this as I should have nor as I wanted.

This is pissing me off, and it's my own fault. I read another health & fitness blog where a woman was having the same problem until she signed a contract for herself. She made copies of that contract, posted it around her house and lost the weight she wanted.

Worth a shot...only thing I have to lose are a few sheets of printer paper...and some L-B's.

Where is everyone...

Where has everyone gone?? We need to get this thing going again. I miss it. We need to step it up for the final 4 weeks! Who's with me??

Jenn

A Trip to NYC...

I haven't been on to blog for Celery in awhile...but I've been neglecting my own blog more, so I don't feel TOO awful about it.

Last week, I took a 2 1/2 day trip to NYC with my friend, Chip. We threw together our travel plans in 4 days, but I found the spontaneity of it enjoyable and youthful. My biggest fear while in NYC was the food. As we all know, NYC restaurants are some of the best in the world; however, Chip was on his own diet and didn't want to really indulge.

Still, we grabbed a late dinner at an Irish pub after seeing Promises, Promises Tuesday night, which consisted of an overly salty Rueben & fries. And Chip granted me my wish of finally visiting Peanut Butter & Co. in Greenwich Village...with the most delicious PB sandwich I have every had. Also, our last meal in NYC was at the Olive Garden in Times Square. So, when this past Monday hit, I was a little nervous.

What I saw during my weigh-in was even more surprising...I had lost 2 lbs.

I am thinking that all the walking we did each day paired with the healthy snack choices we made each day (nectarines & veggies at the deli up the street), really saved me. I found walking in NYC a lot different than in CHI. I enjoyed it. And we did A LOT of it...at least 5 miles a day.

Glad to see that I had lost something. And with the good feelings from the weigh-in, I ordered a new pair of walking shoes (Reebok Easy Tones) and 2 new pairs of running shoes (Nike LunarGlide & Nike FreeRun). I also ordered some yoga classes for a local studio & am starting tomorrow with my 1st "Intro to Yoga" class.

I'll be up in the *gym* (really yoga studio or outside) working on my fitness!

A GOOD Week

So it's been awhile since I've blogged. Sorry. I just haven't felt the need to say anything. That, and I've been spending a lot of time at the pool. =)

So we weighed in for the 3rd time today and after gaining back everything I lost plus some last week, I took it all back off plus some losing 5.2 lbs. I was really happy that I got the result I did because I really worked hard and stuck to my diet. I didn't starve myself, and I consciously made decisions not to eat junk food or fast food when I wanted to. I kept telling myself NO. This was really unusual to me because this was the week before my monthly mother nature visit and I'm usually ravenous in this week and eat everything I can get my hands on. So I guess I controlled my cravings with eating right and working out. A welcomed surprise since I always hated how I felt after gorging myself!!

So the challenge this week is to stay on track and continue eating right and working out. However, I have basketball camp that I run this week during the time when I was going to different classes last week, so we'll see if I can motivate myself to do some of the work myself at other times. Also, mother nature will be visiting this week, so let's hope she is kind to me and the weight loss!

Side note: I made two more really good recipes this past week. Vegetable fried rice and linguine with fresh tomatoes. Both were absolutely delicious and low cal! I love this cookbook and think it was an excellent investment!! If you ever come across the Taste of Home cookbook called Everyday Light Meals, I highly recommend it!!

Here's to another good week!!
Jenn

Truth is Perceptive

Don't change the Facebook photo. That is the person you want to be, right now you are in a rut. You have been able to tell us all your weight and we are moving past it together. Not to mention Facebook on a whole is just a pack of lies.

Most people fluff up their lives, bedazzle mediocrity or take slutty photos to make them feel better about losing their panties at the bar last weekend. Do you really think all of those "happy family" photos are really happy? Chances are Mom is on prozac and Dad has a collection of Coors Light beer cans he has built into a fort. So we lie about our current figures? I bet no one puts their actual weight on their driver's license. I was on the verge of putting my younger age on there. Life is perception.

Should the world rid itself of make up? Tanning lotion? Padded bras? I say no. As long as you are not going under the knife to change your appearance, then show off the person you want to show off.

I am not changing my photo until I am confortable taking one from the waist down.

XoXo

Another truth....

I have noticed that no matter how hard I try to keep my Facebook friends community from knowing how much weight I've gained or how different my body looks, they can always find out from your pictures?

I am afraid to change the picture on my FB, Twitter, LinkedIN & Blogspot profiles because the one I have up right now, I loev. It's from when I was at my healthiest weight a couple years ago.

Arg...I think I need to chalk up to the truth & change it.

Coming to terms with reality

The reality of my life is....Food has been an ever-present friend. My best friends are spread across IL, MO, WI, AZ & NC. It isn't easy for me to just hop in the car or take a bus to see them throughout the week. Even more difficult is to meet a cool person that you bond with like you do your best girl friends from HS & College.

So, food became a comfort pillow to lie my head. Except, when I started eating, I couldn't stop. It's sad when, instead of calling my friends to discuss a bad day, I would just come home & start noshing.

I need to get more active in things....volunteering, networking, etc. So, I made a decision a couple weeks ago that I was going to try getting back into musical theather, because I truly miss having that musical/creative outlet. I had called to make an audition appointment about a week ago for a community theater in Arlington Heights; however, ALL their audition times had been filled. So, they put me on a wait list in case of a cancellation, which I pretty much came to terms that I wouldn't be auditioning for that theater. And I started looking at other opportunities.

Well, yesterday, I got a phone call from the theater company that there had been a cancellation & I was up for audition tomorrow (today, Tues 6/8) @ 8:10pm. I immediately went into audition mode, picked my song, edited my resume and searched for a musical theater monologue. I'm not good at memorizing lines. But instead of eating all night in stress, I went for a walk, calmed down & rehearsed the song a bit before bed.

I'm just nervous about the audition, because I am quite visibly NOT the body type for stage anymore. And if I want to start performing again, I need to have a better body, endurance & overall health. It's depressing to realize that the weight gain might affect their overall idea of me in consideration for their principal parts.

But I'm hoping getting more involved will bring better mental and physical health benefits to my life.

Meltdown

Hello, my name is Liz and I just had a meltdown after seeing our groceries. My fiance is a chocoholic. He ate an entire box of Fannie Mae pixies yesterday. We are in week three and I am already imagining people as giant cookies. I have a mixture of wanting to punch them and wanting to eat them. This can not be healthy.

I know there are those 100 calorie packs, but they are not satisfying. When I eat them, I just lie to myself and say they were filling The only way they would be appetizing is if I dipped them in a tub of frosting before eating them. I feel like I need to start a club: Phat Kids of America. Our symbol would be a tub of frosting with a spoon sticking out encircled by bedazzled jewels.

I need a hobby something to get my mind off of food. My old hobby of baking is doing nothing for my waistline. I can not fit into any of my clothes. I was thinking that working out might be a hobby but I realized I hate it.

I am sitting here in a post-meltdown shame wondering how I am going to show my face outside of my room. My dog witnessed the whole thing and I could tell that even he was embarrassed for me.

Any hobby suggestions? I am between making clothes for my dog or paper mache hats.


xoxo

Emotional Food

Hello ladies! Long time, no blog. I just got back from Rio where I spent the last few days at Tim's grandfather's funeral. It was a tough few days, but more than anything I felt like my life was put on hold. I know that sounds a bit selfish, but I just realized how easy it is for life to get in the way.

When we were at the hospital last weekend, there were no healthy options. Hospitals push simple quick food. They are like McDonald's with less flavor. Throughout all of the chaos of the week, I realized a few things: 1) I can make quick healthy food and 2) I can make healthy choices when I am out eating.

One other thing I realized is that we are trained that food and emotions are interconnected. To show sympathy, people brought food. Generally you do not have time to cook when you are grieving, so it is welcoming. Yet all the food is quite fattening. Not a single person brought fruit to the visitation or funeral. I had "Tater-Tot Casserole". Who knew that even existed?

I have some to realize that food makes people feel better and the fattier the better. I am not alone in the world when I turn to face a sandwich and smile. Just because I am not alone, does not mean I am going to let this keep going. I am going to put these past few days behind me and just take a step forward. If there is anything that this has taught me, is that my body is on loan to me, and well I want it to look damn good. So good night for now ladies. MUAH!

Out with School, In with Summer

Well it has finally arrived! The end of the school year which means the end of lunches in the teachers' lounge and all of the different temptations that come with it. While I'll miss my lunchtime company (we were a pretty fun group), I won't missing having to stare down the different treats my mouth is watering for or having the angel on one shoulder and devil on the other having a heated debate over what to eat or not eat. I am looking forward to starting my new workout routine and doing it at the time I want, not when I have to.

So here's to summer and the freedom it brings to do what I want when I want to and to feeling more in control of my life!

I've also made a deal with myself that I can't go to the pool unless I have worked out that morning. So hopefully, I'll be getting as thin as I do tan this summer!!

Jenn

Battle of the Bloat

Since the holiday weekend's food stuffing competition, I have been feeling bloated beyond belief. I'm pretty sure it's from the fatty & highly preserved (salty) foods as well as lack of water.

Some experts say if you are not hydrated enough, the body retains weight. I recently read an article that if you properly take in 10-12 cups of water a day, you could lose up to 5 lbs that first week of full hydration. Not sure about that....but I'm going to try watering myself like a thirsty little flower.

I need to start taking in more veggies this week to make up for the 2 days this weekend/Monday when my meals were more so based on my favorites vs. meals based on fueling my body. I need to get off my ascot and work out tonight when I'm back from all my work stuff.

The hardest part for me has been the exercise!!!

Relief

Relief from the heat is my theme of this week. As I close down my classroom, I am actually looking forward to the next several weeks to do some teaching and staying focused on the competition. One week has gone by, I feel like I have done fairly well. Of course I would love for it to be easier and require less motivation. But, like every other obstacle in life, I must fight through it and look at the prize in the end. Not only are we all fighting the heat, but fighting our selves as well. I know we have all done a fantabulous job this week and will continue to motivate each other the next 11 weeks!

Let me give you all a "physical challenge" for this week. In your workouts, try something new! Join a class, try a new video, or just a new machine at the gym.

p.s.

"Wipeout" is a great show.. this blind date edition is hilarious:)

~Bri

Happy Memorial Day!

I have to concur with Jenn's post. There is an obscene amount of food over holidays. And when it's a Summer, national holiday such as Memorial Day, the food is too delicious. Brats, hot dogs, burgers, salads, etc.

I definitely tripped up this weekend. Saturday started with a healthier version of orange-blueberry bread, but after 2 1/2 slices, not so healthy. Later that afternoon, I had 1/2 a serving of the Cook Yourself Thin green chile enchiladas that were left with a fresh tomato & avocado salad on top. Not too bad. Dinner, however, wasn't as good as it should have been. Subway (6 in. turkey on wheat) but I got a Cherry Coke (instead of water) and Sunchips (instead of apple slices). NOT SMART! Sunday started off good with Multigrain Cheerios & fresh blueberries but soon got wrapped up in a chicken salad sandwich for lunch and "breakfast for dinner" (pancakes, sausage & eggs). Then topped it off w/ some ice cream while watching movies.

Still after all this, I was down 2 lbs first week. So far so good...just need to stop the madness on the weekends!

Shout out to the troops. May God protect you and bring you home safely!

A 3 day weekend filled with food...

Even though this was a weekend filled with family and food, I did do a pretty good job of staying on track overall. I did have a few breakdowns and gave into some of the good food that surrounded me, but I also managed to get in 3 workouts...1 at the gym and 2 5-6 miles walks.

Tomorrow is our first official weigh in day so we'll see where we all stand and and how much more I need to step it up!!

Shout out to all my hot service men out there...and I guess the women too!!! Thank you for all you do!

Jenn

Easy, Healthy Lunch

During summer, people don't want to be loaded down during the day. Thus, they won't eat heavy lunches. I like salads and wraps, like most people, but today, I wanted something fruity and different.

So, I switched up the game. I made an organic yogurt & fruit parfait.

In a cereal bowl, I combined a pre-packaged Whole Foods' 365 peach (fruit on the bottom) yogurt cup, 1/4 cup fresh blueberries & 2 large strawberries. I then added about a 1/3 cup of Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal & mixed.

Considering I had veggie, protein, dairy & grain for breakfast, this fit in a serving of fruit, grain, protein & dairy. All around a good decision, because I am satisfied but not full.

*FUN FACT: I can sing in 7 languages!*

The Diction of this Blog is Quite Misleading

When I read the titles of many of these blogs words like temptation and seduction pull me in. Alas, it is nothing dirty, but a girl can hope.

I think everyone falls off the wagon, and we need to just let it go. If we dwell on it, then it starts to poison our attitude for future days. Then we lose direction and just accept that one slip-up necessitates diving into a package of Oreos.

I fear the "eating out" hurdle. I know I can make healthy choices when I am out eating, but I love cheese. Not to mention fried cheese is practically a food group in Wisconsin. The others being fish, beer and sauerkraut. You can get different kind of fried cheese here. They all have distinctive, delicious flavors.

I have been doing well. I have the fiance on board with some healthy decisions. We have brown rice and tacos for dinner. Mine were stuffed with lean meat, tomatoes and lettuce. His were stuffed with all of the above plus sour cream and cheese. His looked so much better.

I wish we could all stay more positive. I know this is just the beginning of our Biggest Loser competition, but I think we need to include one really awesome thing about ourselves at the end of each blog. Maybe it is a strange skill or a little story. We center most of our lives around losing weight, which causes us to lose sight of everything wonderful that we already are. Sure we have a few pounds to shed, but when we do ... we will awesome and slim!

Positive thought: I am excellent at making pop-up greeting cards.

My Thai Food Catastrophe

Everyone knows I have a problem. I admit it, too.

I'M ADDICTED TO THAI FOOD!

Well, with this whole diet thing, you'd think I would know I can't have Thai takeout. And I do know this; however, after being stuck in the car from 5pm to 7pm to just go 30 miles, I did NOT feel like cooking or eating another salad (which I had for lunch).

So, Thai was the name and regretting it is my game. While I was ordering it, I kept thinking to myself, "This is bad, very bad, very bad. Don't you do it! DON'T YOU DO IT!" And then I ate the whole thing in the course of my watching Dear John.

Geez, this is a broken record. After a long day & lots of traffic, the best thing to relax is Thai food & a girly movie. It's official, I have completely fallen off the wagon. HELP!

Day of Exhaustion

So, my fun day at the park was great fun and a good workout! I not only played volleyball, kickball, and mat ball but I also raced 2 students through an inflatable obstacle course. I was pretty hesitant about the obstacle course, for one I am always soo slow! I can't get myself up in those things! But after some pleading of 10 year olds, I decided what the heck. I actually beat the girl I raced, and she is a fast thing! But, the boy was another story. I was definitely not in first place! So, with all that excitement there was one downfall. I ended my day completely exhausted and horribly sunburned! Yes, my arms are as red as a tomato. But, I knew I had to get to the gym after my trip to the laundry mat. I enjoyed the A/C while doing laundry and reading a good book. I was so comfortable I nodded off a few times, that's embarrassing! However, I woke myself up, loaded my laundry and hit the gym for another super hot workout. I stayed longer than I normally do. Not sure what got into me, but I was determined to make up for the time I missed yesterday.

With that, I am very close to heading to bed for the night! Let me continue to have this motivation this weekend as I venture to my parents and celebrate my cousin's graduation. With that comes cake and food! But, my tennis shoes are packed and I'm ready to go!

Happy Friday:)

Bri

The Seduction of Temptation...

Well after telling myself over and over how I wouldn't give into the temptation at lunch and succeeding, I eventually was seduced by all of the wonderful foods at the American Idol party I went to last night. I decided to just start with a small piece of cake (as I had been craving it after seeing so many cakes all week) and some popcorn as I figured that was the best choice. Then I got offered a beverage and decided what the hell and went for the tall boy beer. After finishing my first plate, I couldn't resist the salsa con queso dip and chips and loaded up on those. I felt guilty after eating it all, and felt the need to confess to 2 of my good friends. They were supportive and decided to confess in their own failings. None of us did terribly bad and we all agreed that we needed to forget it in the morning and pick right back off where we left off and get back on track. So this morning, I drug myself out of bed and did Jillian's killer 20 min workout and planned my meals for the day. I am also going to force myself to have a really good workout at the gym today no matter how much I don't want to be there.

As for all the goodies once again in the lounge today for yet another birthday...that would be 5 this week....I am not even going to look twice at them as I know I can stay away!! This is one temptation I cannot be seduced by!

Jenn

Attempting to Jump the Hurdle....

So, as I stated yesterday, tonight was my weekly "taco night". As many of my friends are well aware this is a weekly co-worker get together at a local bar to relax mid week and "bitch" about our week/day. It is a great outlet to just let things go! However, besides conversation of course we are faced with the menu- drinks and food. As the school year ends this was our last official meeting while some of our group travels to Colorado and others are busy with summer activities.

I went into tonights dinner telling myself, YES! I CAN RESIST TEMPTATION. I will jump that hurdle of margaritas and bowls of chips!!! Well, needless to say I lasted approximately 10 minutes. As the chips stared me down and I was super hungry since I had had nothing to eat since 1130 AM I decided to take a couple. Unfortunately, I did not stop at 2, but I also did not over indulge like I find myself doing way too often, especially with Mexican food. I also chose to have 2 margaritas on top of the chips and chicken fajitas.

I didn't make all the wrong choices, but definitely could have done better. Tomorrow is our park day where I will be playing games of kickball, basketball, frisbee, and maybe even take a couple rounds of racing some students in an inflatable obstacle course. That workout will hopefully make up for todays hurdle that was missed by a few inches. Then after "playing" all day I WILL go to the gym and sweat some more.

Better day tomorrow- Bri

How much temptation can a girl take?

So today at work not only was there another birthday...there was 2 of them. So that means double the goodies in the lounge. Ugh...could this be anymore tempting. Especially since I consider myself somewhat of a cake connoisseur and there was the most delicious looking white cake (which is my favorite) with homemade icing sitting just to my left. I wanted to taste it soooo badly, but...I refrained. Today was probably the hardest to say no to, but after doing it 2 days in a row, I feel stronger like I can continue to do it. I also found out that someone will be celebrating their birthday again tomorrow...at least I can somewhat prepare myself before tomorrow.

Again I struggled to make it to the gym, but I did. For some reason, I am having a really hard time getting the motivation to go there. All I wanna do is take fun classes, but they are redoing the floors until the 1st so that option is out. Bad news though, I think I have pulled a muscle in my side like just below my ribs. It is really uncomfortable to take deep breaths or move certain ways, so needless to say, running was not much fun!

For dinner, I made another new recipe that was absolutely fabulous. Turkey Tomato Pizza. SOOOOOO good!!!

Going to an American Idol party to night at a co-worker's house...the plan is to avoid the treats and stick to what is making me a better person inside and out!! Hopefully I won't give into the temptations!

Jenn

This may be a fluke, but....

Did I REALLY lose 2 pounds in 2 days? No freakin' way. I think my scale is playing tricks on me!

I miss bread.

Bread and I are like a set of frenemies on the Hills. I hate its existence but I can not live without the constant drama it brings to me. I have an addiction. I love it. I wish I could say I have forgiven it for its power it holds over me, then I could just forget it. I feel like telling Heidi off in a passive aggressive manner would be easier than giving the kiss off to the perfect sourdough roll.

Think about it, bread is the root of everything wonderful. The perfect sandwich. A Five Guys burger. Not to mention, it is the perfect partner to a great bowl of soup or it can be used to scoop into cheese or spinach dip. In my eyes, it can do no wrong ... except add unnecessary calories to my life. I can only think of the perfect french bread with the right amount of crunch on the outside and the soft, warm inside. Yum. What is it that you say? Control? Portion size? Hah! I appreciate your stock answers, but if I could do that then I would not be in this predicament.

I have been off of excessive bread for two days. Where is my poker chip? Where is the meeting of my peers? I will tell you where they are at?! Panera.

I should add that I ran two miles today and ate well. At least I can add something positive to the end of this blog.

XoXo-
E.L

Heat Wave

So as I entered my classroom this morning at 7:30 I entered an extremely hot room reading at approximately 84.5 degrees. Yikes, that's a hot morning! Of course once you insert 25 students that are already "out of school" mode, the heat seems to just increase. The day went better than expected, besides the fact that hovers over me- " I have to go to the gym after school". This thought was something I didn't want to focus on. After all, I am already sweating buckets of sweat, my feet are swollen, and the fact of peeling my clothes off to change was exhausting just thinking about it. As I left work around 4 the temp read 94 degrees- great motivation to sweat some more? Not so much.

However, after cooling off for about 10 minutes in my a/c I took the heat plunge and walked to the gym. Luckily today, their a/c was working so I only filled one half bucket of sweat. BTW yesterday, there was no a/c and I could have filled a swimming pool! After a decent workout, I walked back home and finally cooled off for the first time since 7 :30 this morning.

Tomorrow's challenge: Weekly "taco night" with co- workers usually filled with lots of beer and margaritas. I'll pass on the chimichanga I went for last week and pledge to make a much better choice! Hmm... maybe fajitas?!?!

P.S. I would love the recipe for the BLT salad.. sounds delish!~

Keep it up,

Bri

The Curse of the Reeses PB Cup Cookie

So today didn't start out as well as I had planned. I set my alarm to wake up to do my 20 min workout, but I was soooo exhausted because this damn bird was chirping outside my window at 4:30 am. When my alarm finally went off at 5:30, I reset it so I could sleep longer, so no workout this morning.

Then there was another freaking birthday at work which meant more birthday goodies in the lounge. And right in front of my seat was a large bowl of BBQ chips, which I love. So I made one of the other teachers move them so I wouldn't eat any. Then sitting next to me was the most wonderful smelling treat I had smelled in days. It was this moist, soft looking peanut butter cookie with a Reeses peanut butter cup inside. I toyed with the idea of eating just one. But then I kept arguing that it never stops at just one. After going back and forth in my head for what seemed like hours, I eventually left the lounge without eating a single one!! If that's not a success, then I don't know what is!

While I made it to the gym after work, I really struggled with getting there. I wished I had another Zumba class to go to. After working out, I felt good that I had done it. I then came home and made a really great meal. I used a new recipe from my new cookbook and it was awesome. Bowtie pasta BLT salad. I mean who doesn't like Bacon!! And you get a big portion for very few calories which is always a plus!!

On a side note, I did something today that I had been wanting to do for years. I built up enough guts and I finally told a special someone how I really felt. Looking forward to tomorrow and will attempt waking up early to get in my 20 minute workout.

Jenn

Tuesday, Monday's slightly younger sibling

You know, when it's sunny and hot out, I don't really crave a lot of warm, starchy foods. What I want are chilled and refreshing foods. So, for my morning breakfast, I made a smoothie.

Yesterday's grocery shopping weilded an abundance of berries. So, here's the recipe (1 serving)

1 cup low fat content Greek Yogurt
1/3 cup blueberries
1/3 cup strawberries
1/2 cup ice cubes

Throw it all into a blender and enjoy.

My findings/tips:

• Greek yogurt (plain, like I used) is NOT sweet but is high in tangy flavor & protein. Use vanilla greek yogurt or other flavors for more flavor.
• The shake isn't sickenly sweet, even for me, so I would recommend adding more berries or juice.

Nothing to lose but weight!

So I've never written on a blog before, so I'm gonna do the best I can. I guess I'll start out telling you a little about my background and how I've gotten to this point.

My whole life I have struggled with weight, always feeling like the biggest one in the group. I played multiple sports and took dance during my childhood and adolescence, so I was able to stay in pretty good shape even though I didn't think so. During high school, my mom decided to lose weight and joined Weight Watchers and I did it with her, losing a maximum of 15 pounds. However, soon after that I failed Weight Watchers and dropped out. This was the first of many attempts and dropouts.

Then college hit, and not only did I gain the freshmen 15, but I took it to a new level and gained the freshmen 40. I loved my social life and all the beer that came with it. I didn't workout at all except for intramurals here and there.

After college I moved in with a good friend for a year and in one summer gained another 15 pounds due to my partying and unhealthy late night stops....but damn, was that a fun summer!! So I moved away for 2 years for a job and was at my heaviest ever. In the last year away, my work decided to hold a Biggest Loser competition right after the New Year. It was for 10 weeks with weekly weigh-ins and you paid $50. If you lost 10% of your body weight, you got your money back, but if not, your money went to the Biggest Loser. I was reluctant to join because I didn't think I would be able to do it considering I had never lost more than 15 pounds before, but I figured, what the heck...I have nothing to lose...so I did it.

While I wasn't able to lose the 10%, I did lose 8.5% and was able to start changing my life. I lost 18 pounds during the competition and went on to lose another 17 or so after it for 35 total. I've kept it off for a year or so, but have plateaued big time. I'd do great one week, then not see results fast enough and blow it the following week. This was my reason for wanting to start this competition with my friends as we are all pretty competitive and all complain about our weight. I would like to lose another 20-30 pounds, and I feel like this is the kick in the butt I need and I always like to have company on my journey.

Today was a great start as I stuck to my calories for the day, and I even avoided all of the goodies that were in the lounge at work as it was a co-workers birthday. I woke up 20 minutes nearly and did Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred and I decided to change up my workouts and went to a Zumba class tonight which I loved.

Hopefully the good days keep coming!!! I have nothing to lose but weight!!

"Big Boned"

I have survived day one of our weight loss challenge. Not so bad.. as I think to myself. But as past experiences haunt me, I know how easily I can get sidetracked and discouraged. As a late 20 year old I have fought with my weight for as long as I can remember. Even as a grade schooler I jumped from the largest of girls to young misses. There was no in between stage or any memorable time when I was at an ideal weight. Unfortunately weight issues are a big struggle in my family as well. We are "big boned" as the term is thrown around like an acceptable reason for our food behaviors. Yes, we do have "big bones"-my family is strong- emotionally and mentally. But I am determined to show that I can have "big bones" by being healthy and strong in my daily lifestyle . Maybe my determination will influence my loved ones back home!

As I give myself the daily pep talk to go to the gym and make better food choices, I am constantly reminded of the health issues I could very soon have if my life does not change quickly. With a family history of diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol why wouldn't I want to take these steps to lower my chances?

The challenge, that I have now survived one day of, is exactly what I needed t0 stop making excuses, take care of myself, and prove my strength and dedication towards a healthier life.

Girls: ALL HANDS IN for weight loss success!

~Bri

Straight from the Foodie's mouth

My friends know many different things about me, but one truth runs more clear than the rest. I'm a foodie. I love to cook, eat, entertain, nosh, taste, snack and create. Part of this comes from my family, because all of them are involved with food somehow.

When I was younger, I was active in sports and dance. So, weight was never really a big problem for me. It wasn't until I got into college when things changed a bit. I didn't gain the "Freshmen 15," but over the last two years of school I did. But after a bad break-up with the love of my life, it dropped off. It wasn't until recently that I needed to come to terms with the following things:

1. I wasn't eating proper portions
2. I stopped exercising like I had been a year prior
3. I gained weight through stress eating due to work
4. I was depressed at the size I had become at my own doing

Now, while many people say stress causes them to eat, I just don't know why I had to eat ALL of what I was eating. It was like an internal voice that kept calling out for differing flavors that threw me over the edge of reason. Part of this may be as a compensation of a diet that was a bit too strict about a year and a half ago.

Around this time two years past, I was at my peak health since going to college & not having the activity as I did when I was younger. I made the conscious decision to start working out, got a trainer (which wasn't a good experience) and ate a very strict diet. During this time, I trained with a few friends for a stair climb, but as soon as that puppy was over with, the diet and exercise went out the window. Thus, the weight gain.

Oy to the vey.

This process is going to be a lifestyle change. I know I can do it, but I know what I won't do. I'm not cutting out bread or rice or pasta or cheese. But it's going to be in moderation mixed with voluminous veggies and incredible exercise.

What can you expect from me? Sincere, and slightly brutal, honesty, humor, healthy recipes & dedication. I'm a normal person. There's nothing truly remarkable about me but what I do have is a chance. And I don't want to blow it. I'm ready to change my life and take charge. Hopefully, it'll allow some gifts to come back into my life.

Your Faithful Foodie-

Mer

And so it begins...

I am one quarter of this battle against the bulge. My story is a string of clichés, but like all cliches, truth lies within it all. Last September I moved to Milwaukee, a city where everything is served beer battered, covered in cheese, or in the form of a sausage. Most of the restaurants are chains of fast food or specialize in fried fish. As I regularly work sixty hour weeks, I generally fall victim to the carry out dinner.

On top of all of this, I am engaged. I have less than 18 months left before out 11/11/11 wedding. Dress shopping has always been the bane of my existence, and now wedding dress shopping makes me feel like a shadow of despair is looming upon me. I have always been quite top heavy, so working with my proportions has never been easy. Now I have to worry about finding a wedding dress. After a preliminary visit to a bridal shop, I have realized that in my current size I have very little options. In addition to size concerns, I have a limited budget which means getting a custom dress is not an option. Everyone I have spoke said to take into consideration the idea of “bridal sizes.” Sizes tend to run smaller. So if you are a size 8 in real life, then your wedding dress will need to be a real life equivalent of a size 12.

So here I am at the beginning of this 12-week battle of wills. Led mostly by vanity, but with a real desire to start living a healthier lifestyle. So let's start this out with a smile. The weather is gorgeous and the sun is shining bright. I can not wait to see what this summer brings.

-E.L.

Introduction

Hello world! This blog will be dedicated to our fellow working, normal and frustrated "chubby buddies" of the world. You may be asking who we are and what the eff we are doing here.

First things first, hello. We are four normal 20-something women. We are like many of you out there...college educated, funny, independent, adventurous, truthful and, for lack of a better term, overweight. This past week, after a phone call between Mer & Jenn, we took it upon ourselves to come together in sisterhood and to lay it all out on the table, clear as day. We are tired of our battle of the bulge(s).

Tomorrow starts the day of a journey. A marathon that will consume 12 weeks (yes, the WHOLE summer) of our lives. We've pledged to dedicate ourselves to a healthier and doable lifestyle. None of this quick cleanse, turbo charged protein shake or starvation diet BS. Because, it's not realistic. We are making a commitment to a change in our habits. Breaking the food cycle but replacing it with an active element.

Our plan over the next 12 weeks will include a weekly weigh-in, team motivation, daily pep talks and blogging along the way. Our goal is to lose 10% of our weight over this period but with a healthy diet and exercise regimen.

On August 16, 2010, we all will meet and have our final weigh-in. Join in on the cause if you feel the need. All fatties welcome. This is a safe place....however, check the Oreos at the door.