Thursday Randoms

For your Thursday pleasure, the randomness that is Jenny:

• My sweet girl turns 8 months old today.  She has three teeth, is practically crawling, and has started college.  At least that's what it feels like to me.

• My sister let me borrow the Hunger Games (I know...I'm the last person on the planet to read them) and I actually thought, "Hey, I can read that on the plane on the way to Nashville."  Then I remembered that I can no longer do such leisurely things like read on a plane.  

• I'm going back to Purdue for a football game this October and I am beyond excited.  I haven't been back to campus is so long.

• We're leaving Natalie with Matt's parents for the day and I am already having to calm myself down when I think about it.  Like my blood pressure starts to rise and my breathing quickens.  It will be the longest I have ever left her with anyone awake (compared to 2 hours) and I am so nervous.  

• But then I think, hello psycho.  She's 8 months old.  And they are her grandparents.  What do you think is going to happen?  

• Sometimes being a parent is hard.  It sure does change your priorities but nothing changes for anyone else.  I think that has been the hardest part of having a child for me.  The amount of people who are not in your "new baby" situation that have no idea what you are going through and just do not understand what new, everyday challenges your life has turned into.  You're not the person you used to be.  You've changed.  At least I did.

• I'm currently watching the last season of Friday Night Lights and I do not want it to end.  I didn't love the show at first but it has definitely grown on me.  I am so in love with Coach Taylor it is bordering on unhealthy.  And Tim Riggins.  Oh, gotta get me some Tim Riggins.

• Netflix is seriously the way to watch T.V. people.  I rarely even turn on the actual T.V. anymore.  Except to watch Days of Our Lives of course.

• Speaking of Days, all of my favorite characters are coming back in this big new launch of the show on the 26th and I am so excited I can hardly see straight!  How do I know this?  Well, there is a chance I get Soap Opera Digest.  Wait, wait, let me explain.  Matt saw it on DealNews one day for free so I signed up.  I would not pay for Soap Opera Digest.  But now that I have it, I love it.

• Weight Watchers is going pretty well.  I've had a bit of a rough few weeks with having my sister in town (aka: Red Whoopie Pies) and being out of town.  But I'm just a few pounds away from pre-Natalie and I am so excited about it.  It only took me 8 months...which in my opinion is awesome seeing as it took me 9 to put it on.  Let's not mention the 40 additional pounds I need to lose after that okay?  Oh my life is a diet.  

WW Update!

So...yeah.  It's been a few weeks.  You know what that means, right? 

Me too.

We went on vacation and then for some reason I really had a hard time getting back into things when we got back.  Perhaps it had something to do with the fact I was eating Twizzlers, fun size candy bars, and Starbursts for breakfast in Florida.  Not sure. 

But last week I finally got back on the horse.  I got serious at the gym and stayed within my points everyday.  So here's the update since I started...again, that was approximately 5 weeks after Natalie was born.

Weight loss since last reported:  5.5 lbs.
Total weight loss:  31 lbs.

Also, something exciting comes with this new weigh in.  I have finally reentered the world of ONE-derland!  Now, at first this was not something I was all psyched up to share.  Seeing as saying you have entered into one-derland is admitting that at one time you were actually in the TWOs.  Which no one wants to say.  But there you have it.  I was there.  Granted, I was there because I was pregnant...but I was still in it for 6 months after my sweetie was born so I can't blame her for everything now can I. 

Truth is, I've been there before.  I lost 75 lbs. before I got married and I vowed I would never be that heavy again.  I wanted to make sure I was at a healthy weight before I got pregnant so I would never have to see those numbers again.  Unfortunately, it didn't quite work out that way.  I gained some weight back during the first few years of our marriage (who doesn't?)...not nearly as much as I lost...but enough that when I got pregnant I knew I was going to see those dreaded numbers again.  It was frightening to see the weight come on as quickly as it did.  I found it incredibly easy to lose myself in pregnancy and not worry about what I was eating.  That is a mistake I will not make again.

I made a vow to Matt that I would not harass him about having another child until I reached my goal weight.  I have a long way to go but I feel like I'm in the groove.  I'm gonna do it.  I've done it before...and I can do it again.  And then the next time I get pregnant I won't have to lose the baby weight + all the extra fluff!  And there's motivation in another squishy little newborn :)

So how are y'all doing? 

Weekly Weight Watcher Update

Weight Loss = +0.5 lbs.
Total Loss = 26.5 lbs.

I had a really great week this week workout wise.  I went to spinning Monday and Wednesday and strength classes Tuesday and Thursday.  My in laws were in town and I had planned out meals accordingly and was sticking to everything.

Until Sunday.

Sunday involved going out to lunch for bacon cheeseburgers.  Then Matt's parents offered to stay home with Natalie so Matt and I could go out to dinner.  Enter paninis.  So explains my downfall this week.

I'm looking for a great week this week because we head to Florida on Sunday and I'd like to leave on a good note.  And come home on a good note as well.  But I'm not kidding myself so we'll see how it goes.  Traveling is always a food disaster for me.  Wish me luck!

Weekly Weight Watcher Update

Weight Loss = 3.5 lbs.
Total Loss = 27 lbs.

I made it to the gym four times this week.  My ideal schedule is to go Monday-Thursday for an hour.  I'm not a huge fan of leaving Natalie in the nursery for longer than that so it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.  I can work out longer when she's in school.  For now, I'm content with my hour.  We run errands on Fridays and I like to spend the weekend with Matt without having to worry about getting to the gym.  So four days a week it is for me.

Monday and Wednesday I did a spinning class.  They have these classes everyday of the week but I L.O.V.E. the instructor on these days.  She is incredibly motivating and pushes me to my limits every single class.  Plus, I love leaving the gym feeling all sweaty and gross.  It's like I accomplished something, you know?

Tuesday and Thursday I did strength training.  I went to a class called Butts and Guts as well as one called Body Bar and Ball.  Lots of work with weights and the fitness ball.  I figure it's a pretty well rounded schedule.

Sometimes I switch it up for scheduling reasons or because Natalie is still sleeping when a class starts in the morning.  But telling you all about my week will really help me continue to go as often as I do.

So good week!  Yeah!

Honesty About Weight Loss

I've never been skinny.

Well, that's a lie.  I was crazy thin when I was three.

Not sure what happened after that.

Oh yes I am.  I discovered sugar.

Anyways, the point is I've always had difficulty controlling my weight.  I can be super motivated one week and then completely not care the next.  It's mental for me for sure.  I was my thinnest as an adult at my wedding almost 4 years ago.  I lost just over 75 lbs. and was 6 lbs. away from my ultimate goal weight.  It's a number I have been striving for since, well, as long as I can remember.

Well, we went on a cruise for our honeymoon.  24 hour buffet.  Enough said, right?  I never hit my goal.  I didn't gain everything back, but slowly the weight started to come back on.  Here I am, 3 years later, 15 weeks pregnant with my little snuggle bug.

Let me assure you, that is not all baby belly.  There's a little bit of Mama belly in there as well.  I would venture to say I was about 30 lbs. heavier in this picture than at my wedding.  Ick.

But that was nothing compared to what I was in this picture.  38 weeks pregnant.  30 MORE lbs. later.

Yuck.

I know, I know.  Beautiful pregnant lady.  Growing a baby.  All that jazz.  But I was huge.  I felt huge and I looked huge...everywhere.  My dreams of being one of those cute pregnant ladies that were all belly were dashed.  But honestly, I didn't really care.  I was going to get my baby girl and I figured I would deal with the aftermath when she was here.

Well, my friends, she's definitely here and that time is now. 

I've been on Weight Watchers since Natalie was 5 weeks old.  They have a specific program for nursing mothers (14 extra points, hell yeah!) so I've been working that for now.  I lost 20 lbs. pretty quickly after giving birth but clearly I have some baby weight + mama weight still to lose.  In fact, I was pretty much right back to where I started so many years ago before my wedding.  A daunting task to say the least. 

Today was a great day in my fight against the bulge.  I hit my 10% goal!  I have lost 23.5 lbs. since starting WW.  It's going to be a long journey and it will probably take me longer than it takes for my daughter to celebrate her first birthday, but this time...this time I will hit my goal.  And I'm going to stay there!

I'm so happy I have this venue to stay motivated and accountable with my dear friends!  Thank you all so much for your support!  Loves!

Weight Loss Update!

It's been a while since I have talked about my exercise/weight loss routine, so I thought I would give you a little update!

I have really hit my stride in the last two weeks. I've continued doing The Couch to 5K program and am now on Week 4. I'm running faster than I ever have. (Note: this is relative. I know you speed demons go way faster...but 5.5 in my book is lightning fast!) Although the running increment increases week to week are tough at first, I gain confidence with every day I am on that treadmill. Not only am I getting my cardio in by running, but I am also throwing in some time on the elliptical and the bike doing burst training. I incorporate weights and abs 2-3 times a week as well.

Onto the subject of food. Obviously this is an area of weakness for me, but besides the wedding I attended last weekend where I indeed partook in some cake (yum!) I have stayed on track with my Weight Watchers plan for two whole weeks. I have lost 4 1/2 lbs. so far and I couldn't be more excited. 4.5 down...24.5 to go! It's a daunting task and I am aware that it will take me some time to get there...but just putting it out there really helps and makes me feel like I have a distinct goal in mind. I will try to remember to keep you guys updated on my progress at least every other week so we can motivate each other! I've also added some weight loss and running info to my side bar for additional accountability.

I have found an incredibly amazing support system here in blog land and the accountability with my workouts and food intake has been key to my success thus far. I have no desire to have to tell my friends that I ate 1/2 a pizza and downed a bag of candy corn for dinner...which I have done before. I seriously could not do this without you ladies and your unending support of a girl who starts and stops weight loss programs like it is her job. I cannot thank you enough!

So, how are you doing??

A New Plan!

Just a quick reminder...don't forget to enter my giveaway!! It ends tonight at midnight!


Remember a few weeks ago when I decided that because I always slacked off doing the 30 Day Shred in the afternoons...I would start getting up earlier and do it in the mornings before work??



Yeah...that didn't work out.



Apparently rolling out of bed and working out with Jillian 5 minutes after waking up does not agree with me. After finishing my workouts, I literally felt like I was going to throw up...all.day.long. I really wasn't having trouble getting up earlier...but the sleepiness hit me like a ton of bricks at night. I would fall asleep on the couch in the 8 o'clock hour. I hated this because Matt usually gets home in the 7's and this didn't give us very much time together. What fun is it to spend your evenings sitting next to a sleeping spouse on the couch?? Not so much. So, after 3 days...I quit!


But...in place of my morning workouts, I am now determined to not be a slacker in the afternoons. There is absolutely no reason I should get off work at 3 p.m. and not have enough time to get in a good workout before Matt comes home. So far I have made it 3 days (hey...it's a start!) and I can feel my motivation starting to return. I've also been running every other day and I've attended Pilates and Yoga at the gym...with Spinning on the schedule for today.


I even went to my WW meeting last night...which I tend to skip when I feel like I have gained. But I wanted to just go and make it a new starting point...weigh in and get it over with. Face it! So I got in the Taurus...drove to the Rec Center...and no one was there! Yeah...in the whole Rec Center...which is usually packed! Um, apparently I missed the memo that our meeting was canceled?? So I walked myself back to the car, ate my WW cookie I brought as a snack...and headed home...thankful I had one more week to work out before I weighed in :) I think God was shining on me yesterday!


So girls...motivate me! I need a week's worth of blogs about running, shredding, and working out so when I read them I will feel guilty skipping the gym! So no blogs about sweets okay? Or ice cream...or cake...and anything else you know I love. Or pizza!

Oh my...

Your Questions Answered-Random Edition

Here they are...the last set of questions you asked!


Mrs. Southern Bride & JLC from French Kiss asked, "Where do you like to shop?"

Want to know a secret? I don't really shop. WAIT...please don't stop following me! Here's the thing. It's not that I don't like to shop or that I don't want new clothes or shoes or purses...I hate spending the money. I honestly would rather put my money in a savings account than buy a new dress. Sad, I know. I get e-mails from Rue La La and Shop It To Me and I haven't bought one thing. Besides my wedding dress or maybe Prom, I don't think I have ever spent over $65 for a dress in my entire life. I just don't buy clothes for no reason.

But, if I'm going to an event, I need a new pair of shoes in a different color, or something else for a specific purpose I tend to look at H&M, Target, J.Crew, Old Navy, Banana Republic, or maybe Gap. Outlet malls are my friend.


JLC also asked a few more questions!

"If you had only one day to live, what would you do?"

I would definitely spend a lot of it in prayer asking God for forgiveness from my sins and thanking Him for the time that I did get here on this earth with the people that I love...and asking for His love and care on my journey to meet Him in Heaven. I would spend the rest of the day with my husband making sure he knew just how much I loved him and how being with him has changed my life for the better.

I would not work out.

"What country would you most like to live in?"

Honestly, I'd live in the United States. I know that is not the adventurous answer you were looking for...but it's me! I do really enjoy traveling, but the language barrier makes me nervous. Also, once I'm away from home for like 3 days, I'm ready to come back. I'm also really weird about trying new foods so I would be bad in a foreign country for an extended period of time. I once went to Holland and survived on Twix bars for breakfast and lunch for a week!

But, I would love to visit France, Italy, and Greece. Anyone want to be my translator?? Ha!

"What's your fave film/book?"

Some of my favorite movies include Dirty Dancing, Juno, & School of Rock. I hesitate to say Twilight was the best book I have ever read, but it is definitely one of my favorites. I also really enjoyed The Middle Place. I'm currently forging my way through the Bible for the first time cover to cover. I'm really excited about my progress and everything I am learning!


Tasha from Biology Gal asked, "Since I'm a science person too, just curious what type of work do you do in the lab?" Angela from 20-Something Dreams also wanted to know what I did for a living.

You two are in for a treat! Not. Ha! I work for a science based products and services company. Our particular branch in Ohio manufactures parts for jet engines, mainly for the military. The lab here consists of three people and our job is to test these manufactured parts before they are shipped out to the customer. All of the parts require different tests, but mainly we do thermal analysis, acid digestions, and peel strength testing. Basically, I get to walk around all day in a lab coat with my safety glass on and my steel toed shoes playing with sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide. You can usually find me sporting a bright yellow spill proof apron, a face shield, and aqua green nitrile gloves. Super. Sexy.

It gets old doing the same tests day in and day out, but it pays the bills. My degree is actually in biology and I would LOVE to get back into that field. I was planning on going to medical school for, well, forever, but then had a change of heart during my masters program and decided that I didn't want to spend my years dealing with more school. Well, what's a girl to do with a masters in biology?? I have no idea. Suggestions, please!


Angela also asked, "What are your guilty pleasures? Sweets? TV shows? Shopping items?"

I've covered my go to anti-diet foods and my shopping habits but I do have a few must see TV shows. I'm a soap opera junkie and DVR Days of Our Lives everyday...and have since I was in elementary school. I do admittedly watch Jon and Kate Plus 8, The Office, 30 Rock, Grey's, & The Biggest Loser. I've drastically cut back on my television in the last year or so, but these shows made the cut.


Mrs. Ruby from Ruby Red Slippers asked, "What is your most embarrassing moment?"

Okay. Fine.

Before Matt and I were married, his mother was talking to me about some clothes that she had made for him. Well one of the items was a pair of boxer shorts and I was like, "Oh, I've seen those before!" I tried to play it off like I had seen them when I did our laundry together one time, but I don't think she bought it. Idiot.


Krystyna Lizabeth from everything happens for a reason asked, "What is your favorite part about living in Ohio...or your least favorite!?!"

Ha! Well if you've read my blog for more than 2 days you know that I don't like much! Okay, okay. Perhaps I am being a little hasty. I do like only living one state away from my friends and family and being within driving distance. I LOVE our neighborhood and the city we live in. Although downtown Cleveland leaves much to be desired, I do appreciate that they have sports teams to watch (giving me the chance to see Chicago teams when they come to town!). I also am a huge fan of the West Side Market downtown where they offer tons of fresh meats, fruits, and veggies for cheap! Oh, the lake, I like the lake! Although we don't venture out there often, I do enjoy being able to go to the Lake Erie Islands and pretend I am on vacation for the weekend.

I won't ramble on about all the things I don't like...but my least favorite has to be the weather. Although I grew up and Indianapolis and I am completely used to having horrible winters, I am over it. I hate the snow everyday but Christmas. I hate driving in it, walking in it, being out in it at all. It is only warm like 3 months of the year. I mean, this morning it was 60. It's almost July people. I need to be somewhere where it is 80s year round! And shoveling snow blows.


Cristina from Another Day in Paradise asked, "What keeps you motivated to work out?"

My fat? Ha! Well, it's kind of true. Just looking down and seeing it everyday makes me want to hit the gym. I will say that attending Weight Watchers meetings has done wonders for me. Actually having to weigh in front of someone who knows my name keeps me accountable. I also do a fitness challenge with my best friend from Indy to see who can work out the most in a 10 week period. There a point system we use to keep track and it helps us to avoid the bad foods and hit the gym!

Also, just belonging to a gym motivates me. I know I am paying for it so I might was well go.

I also get a ton of inspiration from blogging. There are so many people I look to when I feel like giving up. Some people are just starting out like me and others are old pros who are awesome at giving advice. Here are links to some of my favorite blogs that are written by fabulous women who are always pushing me to keep going: French Kiss, Just Another Day in Paradise, Mrs. GI Joe, not all those who wander are lost, Post Smith, The Shabby Princess, & Chic Runner.


Anna from Pocket Full of Pink asked, "What is on your iPod while you run?"

Y'all will get a kick out of this answer! I am not really a fan of rap music or anything that is "in" right now. I have a mix of country, oldies, and rock on my iPod right now. Some of my favorites at the moment that really add a little pick me up to my runs include:

Mickey by Toni Basil
Party for Two by Shania Twain and Billy Currington
I Wanna Dance with Somebody by Whitney Houston
Settlin' by Sugarland
Bye Bye by Jo Dee Messina
Don't Stop Believin' by Journey
I Think We're Alone Now by Tiffany
Bang the Drum All Day by Todd Rundgren
Gimme Some Lovin' by The Spencer Davis Group
Hot Hot Hot by Buster Poindexter and His Banshees of Blues


The Reality of Happily Ever After asked, "If you had to describe yourself as any character in a movie, what movie would it be and what character?"

This was the hardest question I had to answer! I thought long and hard about it, and you know what? They just don't make movies about girls like me.

I had the highest GPA in my class in high school, but I wasn't a nerd who didn't have any friends. I was an athlete but not good enough to play where I wanted to go to college. I wasn't unpopular, but I didn't really hang out with the popular kids outside of school. I wasn't misunderstood or always getting into trouble. In fact, I was quite the goody goody. Although I didn't have any serious boyfriends before Matt, I wasn't a girl pining away for her Prince Charming. I knew he was out there and I would find him someday.

My story would not make for an interesting movie. I'm just your average girl!


Brittany Ann from Living in the Moment asked, "What inspires you?"

This quote has always inspired me. I actually used it in my high school graduation speech. "Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

I am incredibly inspired in church by God and the people in the congregation to live my life for Him. My husband inspires me daily to be the best person I can be for him and our future children. And lastly, I'm inspired so much by my bloggy friends! You ladies keep my butt in the gym, keep me focused on what is really important in life, and have provided me with friendships I so desperately needed.

Whoa! Done!

Thanks again so much for your questions and for following my little blog. You all mean the world to me and I am so thankful you spend a little part of your day here!

Weight Watchers Wednesday...on Thursday!

Yesterday I had my WW meeting and do you want to know what happened??



You do??



Well...






I lost 2 lbs.! Yeah! I'm so excited. That is the most weight I have lost in one week in such a long time! AND...it was over the holiday weekend with my in-laws in town and my routine all screwed up. Now my total weight loss is 13.6 lbs. Yeah! I am well on my way to hitting my goal of 35 ish lbs. Wow...that number seems so big right now, but I KNOW I can do it! Slow and steady, Jenny, slow and steady.

And a non-scale victory to report! This morning I fit into a pair of jeans that are a size lower than I was wearing!! I stopped wearing them a little while ago...remember when I ripped the huge hole in my jeans whilst sorting plastic bags at work??...well I wore them today anyway just because I was so excited! Who cares if you can see 1/2 my knee...I'm in them people! And they aren't tight at all!

I have one more pair of jeans to get into (another size lower...funny...I think those have a hole in them too!) and then it's off to the store for me! I am looking forward to that purchase so much! It will be my first pair of single digit jeans I have ever worn. Although I was able to get into a size 8 in my wedding dress, pants are an issue for me. My waist has always been small, but my booty and hips are made for birthin'!

I'm taking my day off of working out today because I have a cake order to get ready for tomorrow! It's going to be a rocket ship and I'm super excited to get to work on it. Why is it that work always gets in the way of my cake fun!?!

But it's back to the grind Friday for my workouts....because I have a special event coming up next week that I must prepare for...any guesses as to what that might be??


Give up??


It's my birthday!! The big 2-6 (yikes!) is on the 3rd and I'm super excited for it! Although I have another girl Dr's. Appointment that afternoon (hopefully this turns out to be nothing and I do not have to update y'all on this situation...but I am definitely in need of prayers this day!), I'm going to spend the rest of the day with my husband, the best birthday I could ask for. He has "surprises" and I simply cannot wait!


Happy Almost Friday!!

Running Just as Fast as I Can

I feel like I haven't done a running post for a long time! Sometimes I get confused about what I think about and talk about and post about...it all gets jumbled up! So if you're wondering how my running is going...




Still at it!

I'm on week 7 of my 8 week running plan. This week I am running 3 intervals of 11 minute runs and 1 minute walks. Hopefully next week I will be able to do a full 20 and eventually 30 minute run! If not though...I'm determined to keep at it. If it takes me longer than the plan, well who the heck cares, right? As long as I'm running, I'm happy!

Remember 7 weeks ago when I was running 1 minute at a time and I thought that was hard? Boy...what a difference! I've come to learn that running is so much of a mental sport as well as a physical one. I don't think I would've ever even tried to run more than 3 minutes if my training plan didn't say to. I just never thought I could do that. And now I'm running more than 3 miles...which is unbelievable to a girl who was, although athletic, ALWAYS at the back of the pack when it came to running. I may still be a slow poke...but now I can run longer than you...you itty, bitty, skinny, minnies from my high school would couldn't hit a free throw to save your lives!


Anyways....


Onto my weight loss...

I'm really great on WW at home when we have no plans and are in a routine. I'm a planner...what can I say. So the last four weeks have been crazy for me! I had the funeral where I was gone for 5 days...and then last week I was gone for the whole week. But...I weighed this morning, and if the scale did not lie to me, I am down! I'll let you know for sure after the meeting tonight, but hopefully I will see a loss in my weight column this week. We don't really have any plans that should get in the way until wedding seasons hits us in late June, so I'm counting on the scale being super nice to me for a good solid month! You hear that scale? I mean it! Don't make me hurt you.

On another note, (perhaps TMI...so stop reading if you wish) I had my annual "girl" doctor appointment yesterday...always a blast. I just wanted to thank those lovely ladies for offering me that free chlamydia and gonorrhea screening. I mean...did you even read my paperwork? I am MARRIED and have been in a committed, monogamous relationship for 6 years people! Well, if it's positive, at least I'll know who I got it from, right? Oh the trials of being a woman...

The Biggest Loser

Yesterday was my WW meeting...and I lost again! Not a ton...0.6 lbs., but I'm very glad to be going in the right direction. I also got an award! It's a charm of clapping hands with the number 16 on it for staying with the program for 16 weeks! Pretty exciting! Here's to another 16!

Also, I've been keeping up with my running. You may remember that this week I am up to 8 minutes of running at a time. Well, dare I say this running thing is getting a little easier?? Who would've thought, right? Yesterday when I ran, I couldn't even believe it was me. I ran for so long without even getting tired! Now don't get me wrong, by the end...I was sweating like a pig and was ready to be done...but for most of the workout I felt really good! I really didn't expect it to ever feel like this. I'm actually looking forward to the day where I can run the whole 30 minutes (and yes...this is really still me writing this...I promise!)

My current inspiration and motivator is Tara from The Biggest Loser. My husband and I are VERY into this show. I know he only watches it because of me...but he loves it...I can tell. Here's a before picture of Tara from when the show started 15 weeks ago:




The girl weighed in at 294 lbs. the first week. And after 15 weeks on campus...check her out now!




I mean, can you even stand how freaking gorgeous she is?? She has lost 112 lbs. And she's not just losing a ton of weight, she's also winning just about every challenge possible. The girl is a machine! She is so strong and has so much endurance and drive. It is really encouraging to watch her transformation.




BUT...my real fave on the show is Mike. He's 18 years old and the sweetest kid around. He works so hard and he is really getting results. I am loving the changes in him...inside and out. You can totally tell he is getting more confident. He never talked at the beginning of the show...and now he's always chatting up a storm in the interviews. Here's his before pic:




He weighed in at 388 lbs. to begin the show. After his makeover in week 15...check out the cutie pa-too-ti now!




His makeover was my favorite. He has now lost 145 lbs. It's simply amazing.

If you don't watch this show, I definitely recommend it. It gives you inspiration and it's good for your diet too! Who can sit and eat ice cream or pizza while watching someone work out?? Well...I can...but not all the time...and I DO feel bad about it.

So here's to all of our "after" pictures!

(all photos courtesy of The Biggest Loser website on NBC.com)

A Starting Point

The story of my weight loss started oh so long ago. I was actually quite the skinny child but soon porked it up once I discovered I could steal snacks from the pantry and not get caught. I developed a HUGE sweet tooth which has never gone away.

As an aside, I am completely determined not to let this happen to my children. I don't blame my parents for my struggles (that's all on me) but I swear I will make my children eat well if it kills me.

I truly don't think I would've ever called myself FAT (what an awful word anyway...right??), but my weight was way up there. I am tall (5'11'') so you have to take that into account...I am aware. And I am thankful that I have always carried my weight well...relatively....(besides my huge backside and child-bearing hips...but I guess it has to go somewhere!).

I did WW on and off in high school and college. I never really joined for real (except if you count a very short one month span of going to the meetings to weigh in and then leaving!) but I usually just counted the points on my own. My mom has joined a bazillion times so she always had all of the materials to pass along to me. I had good spurts and bad spurts until I finally hit rock bottom. Maybe someday I will share this weight with you...maybe when I'm at my goal :)

Here I am at just about my heaviest....at my college graduation. It's weird to look at these old pictures...because at the time I thought I looked good you know?? I guess you don't realize how big you really were until you lose it. Oh my face...geez!


Shortly after this...I started doing WW for real. I wasn't cheating, I was working out, and it was really working for me. Matt and I got engaged and I was even more determined to look great for my wedding day. Well...I lost 78 lbs.


And then the honeymoon hit. A cruise. A buffet. A sweet deprived newlywed. Not a good combination. Needless to say, I have gained some weight since we were married 1 1/2 years ago. I didn't get down to my goal weight for my wedding either...so I'd say I'd like to ideally lose about 25 lbs. or so.

I started WW for real (yes...actually going to meetings...and staying!) late last year. I was doing really well (I had lost 11 lbs.) and then Christmas hit. I took it hard. For some reason my motivation was gone. Well ladies, I have gotten it back! I returned to WW last night and weighed in. I had gained 3.8 lbs. since Christmas (could've been worse right??) so I am now determined to get to goal. I'm so thankful to have this blog and all of you wonderful readers to keep me accountable. I'll post updates soon...and hopefully...with a lot of sweat and will power...I will make it to my goal weight!

Hungry Girl & Cupcake Floss!?!

I get a daily e-mail from a website called Hungry Girl. Have you guys heard of this?? She has awesome recipes, really great healthy tips, and calculates all of the WW points for you. You should definitely check it out and sign up for her e-mails because they are FULL of info that is super useful. I have made a ton of her recipes and they rock! Her cookbook is also totally worth getting.

Anyway, I received the e-mail this morning and it had a little blurb about a product called Cupcake Floss!! Hello!?! How cool is that?? The floss itself actually tastes like icing! Worth $4.95?? Maybe!

Back on the Fit Train!

My husband and I were happily married in September of 2007. In the time leading up to the wedding, I began seriously doing Weight Watchers with my mama. She and I had been doing this for many years before off and on, but this time I had serious motivation! In about a year and a half I lost 75 lbs. After we went on the cruise for our honeymoon...those lost 75 lbs. slowly started to find their way back to my thighs again...and this trend has continued! Thankfully, I don't have TOO much to lose, but I am back to Weight Watchers nonetheless. I have my meetings on Wednesdays so I will keep you updated on how they go! I have noticed a lot of bloggers who are also Weight Watchers so I am really excited about the extra support system!

About a year ago, I joined a gym in the area called Five Seasons. You want to know the reason I joined this one above the other ones I looked at?? Honestly?? It's not that it is a three minute drive from my house...or on the way home from work...or that they have free aerobics classes...and offer personal training...nope...it's the fact that they have individual televisions on all of the work out equipment! When I went to the other gyms, I literally asked my husband...where are the T.V.'s?? They even have individualized sounds systems so that you can just plug your headphones into the machine and change the channel. It's awesome!

Anyways, I have been a total slug and haven't gone to the gym regularly in a couple weeks so this is my attempt at accountability in telling you that I am back! I went on Saturday to a Zumba class that they offer. If you've never done this, you should totally check it out! It's basically an hour of Latin Dance and it is super fun. Don't worry about looking like a dork...everyone does except the instructor! I'll probably do some cardio, lifitng, and maybe a Pilates class while I'm there today.

Have a fabulous Monday!
(Zumba image taken from www.needresults.com)