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.