Final Weigh-In

I am sure you are all aware that today was my final weigh-in in the Biggest Loser Challenge at work. I managed to spend the majority of the challenge in first place. However, two weeks ago one of my male co-workers was able to drop an insane amount of weight in a week and I was never able to catch up to that.

But I am proud to say that I finished in 2nd place. I lost a total of 25 pounds in 13 weeks. I am proud of myself. I look different and feel better. I am not done losing weight however. I only got half way to my original goal of losing 50 pounds.

We are going to start another challenge at work for those of us that want to continue. I will definitely be signing up. We are looking at making it a bit different this time with the possibility of having teams. The new challenge will start at the beginning of May. I hope to have lost another 10 pounds before the challenge starts. That is probably a long shot but having a goal will keep me motivated.

Thanks for everyone's support!!

Until next time,

Quicky

I know I haven't been blogging much lately. I have lost my touch or something. I don't know. I guess I am just busy with life stuff and blogging has kinda fallen to the side. I hope you all aren't too disappointed. I mean I know how witty and charming I am. You must be missing me an awful lot. Or not.

But I am thinking about all my readers. Please be sure to keep checking in. I just may surprise you. I do plan on blogging after my final weigh-in on Monday. I have lost 25 pounds so far. Just because the contest ends on Monday doesn't mean that my losing weight will end. I am only half way to my original goal of losing 50 pounds. So keep checking back to see if I can make it.

Thanks for sticking with me!!

Until next time,

Weigh-In #11

It is the home stretch. Only two more weeks to go until the final weigh-in. Thank goodness. The competition part of this is starting to get to me. It was fun for a while but now it just stresses me out. I really wanted to win but now I am struggling and it makes me feel like I can't do it.

I didn't lose any weight this week, but I didn't gain any weight either. So that is good, I guess. I went to the gym after work tonight and forced myself to workout. I am going to go every night after work for the next two weeks. I feel like I have to do everything I can to try and finish this competition on top. However, I know I will be taking a break when the competition is over. I just need to focus on myself and not the competitive part of this.

I did get to buy a new pair of jeans in a smaller size and I love how they fit. And the shirts I bought are a smaller size as well. That is the real reward.

Until next time,

Weigh-In #10

I know I missed last weeks weigh-in report. I am very sorry!! Please accept my apology.

Last week I hit my first milestone of passing the 20 pounds lost mark!!!! However I ended up being tied with my co-worker at exactly 9.4% weightloss each. I mean seriously, what are the odds of both being at exactly 9.4% each?!?!?!

But I was able to pass him again this week and claim 1st place all to myself again. He is still right on my heals though with another co-worker just right behind him. This is the home stretch now. There are only 3 more weigh-ins left in this competition. I really need to buckle down if I am going to try to actually win this thing.

Seriously, I never thought I would be this close. But I really want it!!!! I really need the money to buy new clothes that actually fit me. The other day it took me three pairs of jeans to find a pair that weren't way too big. Now that is a great feeling!!!

I will try to be better about updating. I know I have been really bad about blogging. I am sorry and I hope you still come back to check in.

Until next time,

Weigh-In #8

I am so close to losing 20 pounds that I can almost reach out and touch it. I lost another 1 1/2 pounds this week. And that is with pigging out on pizza last thursday and eating chips and salsa yesterday while sitting on the couch doing nothing. I only have 1 more pound to go to reach the 20 pound mark. And then only 30 more to go to reach my original goal of losing 50 pounds. That is a frustrating thought considering how hard it has been the last couple weeks.

Losing weight is not easy!! It can be so frustrating to watch people eating whatever they want and knowing that I really shouldn't be eating the things that I crave. I am not only doing this for the competition but also for a lifestyle change so that I am happy with how I feel about myself. I haven't felt so great about myself the past couple years. But it takes a certain frame of mind to be able to get the strength to work on changing one's lifestyle. I feel like I am somewhat in that frame of mind, it just sometimes seems to allude me.

I have people ask me what I am doing to lose the weight. The main thing was focusing on eating MUCH healthier. Snacking on fruits and veggies has been a big change. And watching my portion sizes is a huge step as well. I have discovered some great cookbooks and have followed a lot of those recipe ideas. I have virtually cut out fast food (except for the occasional french fries or pizza) and have avoided sweets almost totally. I have only had a tiny bit of chocolate this entire year, which is so not easy!!!

I did join a gym. Although I find it very hard to get motivated enough to workout as much as I should. I really don't particularly like going to the gym, so that has become my biggest struggle. And then the guilt I feel for not going makes me feel even worse. I know I need to go. I know that is going to help my overall weightloss goal and make me much healthier. I just wish it didn't suck so much!!!

If you were wondering, I am yet again in 1st place this week. I didn't know I had a competitive side, but I am certainly tickled to be coming in 1st place all the time. It feels really good. And it feels good to have people notice that I am looking different (even if I don't think I look different).

Until next time,

Hungry Girl

When I started the Biggest Loser at work one of my co-workers got us hooked on a website called Hungry Girl (not to be confused with Hungry Girls, trust me). You can check out the website here. They send out daily emails with lots of helpful hints and ideas.

So tonight I decided to buy the cookbooks.

I am really excited to crack these books open and start planning my weekly menus. Planning ahead and having ideas really helps keep me on track. I plan on hitting the grocery store tomorrow and I am excited about having a healthy menu planned out for the week.

I will let you know how it goes. And I will pass along anything fantastic that I discover. Hopefully I don't poison my family. Wish me luck!

Until next time,

Weigh-In #7

I have taken back the lead!!! I won the Gold Medal for the week!! I wish there was a real gold medal. But there will be a real award at the end of this when I am significantly lighter and I win the $$ so that I can buy new clothes. I lost another 2 pounds for a total weightloss of 18 pounds. I am hoping to make a certain goal by next Monday.

So I now need to really focus this week so I can meet my next goal. I haven't been feeling good the past couple days so it has been hard to eat correctly. And the last couple weeks I feel like I have lacked a bit of focus. So this week I am back on the horse, so to speak. I plan on making going to the gym more of a priority and really focusing on my eating habits. I am really going to focus on the weigh-in next week.

I think my biggest problem with my eating habits is that I am getting bored with my food choices. I could use some new and creative meal ideas. And snack ideas as well.

Thanks for everyone's support!! I really appreciate it!!

Until next time,

Weigh-In #5 & #6

Okay, I know, I totally stink at updating lately. I don't know what my problem is. I just feel like I don't have a lot to say right now.

Last Monday's weigh-in went great. I lost another 3 pounds finishing in 1st place again. We teamed up with a partner last week to give out extra encouragement and hold each other accountable. I really appreciated my partner Annie and all her positive encouragement. I know it helped to keep me focused.

I am having some trouble staying focused right now. Especially after today's weigh-in. Today was not a good day for me. I gained a pound this week. I worked out 4 times and ate just like I have been doing yet I still gained a pound. I slipped back to 2nd place for the week.

Tonight I have gotten off track and ate some chocolate, ate a bigger dinner than I should, and then had a couple little candies.

I know I have to get back on track somehow. It is just so easy to follow old patterns and just ignore all the hard work I have put in for the past 6 weeks. So my prayer for the week is to get myself back into the right mindset to keep up the weightloss.

Until next time,

Weigh-In #4

I don't have to eat a cheeseburger!!!!! I lost another 2 pounds putting me at 14 pounds gone!!!

I am very excited and looking forward to losing even more. I love that I feel so much better now. And I am starting to get used to eating better. I am so glad that I started this. And it makes it much easier having the support of others who are doing the same thing right along side me.

Until next time,

Cheeseburger?!?!

I don't want to HAVE to eat a cheeseburger. I would like to eat a cheeseburger, but I would really rather wait a bit longer in the weightloss process. But if I lose the weigh-in tomorrow to one of my co-workers I will have to eat a cheeseburger. At least I think I will. That was the last thing we talked about the "loser" having to do.

We have been trash-talking this past week and so tomorrow is the big day to find out who lost the most weight % and who has to suffer through the humiliating task of eating a cheeseburger.

Please God don't let me be the one to eat the cheeseburger.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Until next time,

Weigh-In #3

Today was weigh-in #3 of the Biggest Loser. I was not very confident going into it because I didn't feel like I had lost any weight. Boy was I surprised! I lost about 3.5 pounds. Which put me in 1st place for the week. Yep I am the Biggest Loser of the week. Woo Hoo!!!

So now I am even more inspired to work even harder. I have lost a total of almost 12 pounds in 3 weeks. I am almost at 5% weight loss. That is so much better than I was expecting.

Here's to a good week and even more weight loss!!

Until next time,

Yummy!!!!

Okay, you may all know by now (or maybe you don't) that I don't like to cook. Seriously, it isn't really my thing. I have been focusing on trying to enjoy it more since that is going to make a big difference in my lifestyle change and eating habits. And I am sure that you don't really consider using the blender "cooking". But I have found one of my new favorite things. And because I am feeling generous I am going to share.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

1 banana
1 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup fat free vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup low fat vanilla soy milk
1 packet splenda
1/8 tsp (or a little more) vanilla extract
1 cup ice cubes

Blend and ENJOY!!!!!

So good!! In fact that is what I am enjoying right now!!

Until next time,

Weigh-In #2

If you watch the Biggest Loser on TV then you know that the second week is notoriously tough for the weightloss. And it was evident today in everyone's weigh-in at work. Luckily I did lose weight, but not much. Only 1 pound actually. But in the big picture I lost 8 pounds in two weeks. And that is still really good. I slipped out of second place and landed in fourth place. But I will rebound this week.

I did cheat a little bit tonight. It was my first cheat. And it was yummy. I put light sour cream, I can't believe it's not butter, and some shredded cheese on my baked potato. Not exactly the kind of cheating you were expecting? You were probably thinking I had some greasy burger or junk food. But I kept my cheating to a minimum, at least in my opinion.

So now I pick up and move ahead while focusing on working even harder. I will do it! This is me being positive!

Until next time,

Winter???

As I woke up this morning to the sun shining and blue skies I started thinking "What happened to winter??" Seriously. We have only had to shovel once this winter. And I have only actually "needed" snow tires one day this winter. I know that we were all complaining last winter when we were drowning in 5 feet of snow but this is the Inland Northwest and we are supposed to have all 4 seasons. I have been amazed at the number of days of sunshine we have had this winter. I am not complaining. Really. I am just wondering what happened to winter.

On the plus side I didn't have to spend money on new boots for the girls. On the other hand I could have saved the $$ it cost to have the snow tires put on, because now I will have to pay the same $$ to have them taken off soon.

Oh well.

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On to another subject. Biggest Loser. Monday is weigh-in number 2. I have still been very good with my eating habits. I STILL haven't cheated. Seriously. Not a single item of junk food. Not a single nibble of chocolate. I probably haven't eaten more than 1200 calories in a day since this started. Some days even less than that. I am trying very hard. I will be able to change and make this my new healthy lifestyle. I am even getting some members of the household to follow along.

I will let you know how the weigh-in goes.

Until next time,

Second Place

I can't believe it!!!!! I am in second place after the first week of Biggest Loser at work. I did it, even though I really thought I didn't. I was expecting maybe just a 1-2 pound weight loss. I was WRONG!!! Do you want to know how much weight I lost???

Drum roll please..............

7 pounds

I was completely blown away and I did jump up and down. I am proud of myself. I honestly didn't cheat over the weekend. I kept up with my healthy eating habits, even though that is a lot harder during the weekend when I am home all day. I am going to be starting the gym sometime this week. I know that will make a difference in feeling better too.

So stay tuned for next weeks weigh-in. I know it probably won't be this much, but I am excited now that I know I can do it!!

Until next time,

A Little of This and That

Today I picked up our finished pottery. I think they turned out totally cute!!!! I can't wait to go back and make more. I think I have a new obsession. Oh how I wish I could go there more often. It is very therapeutic.

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Today I also got the chance to babysit Mady. I love having her all to myself, well except for the girls playing with her too. She is soooooooo adorable!!! Gosh I just adore this little girl.

Can you believe that these two are related? Jeez I don't see a resemblance at all.

Oh, and did you notice Sam's cute new haircut. It is really short and she LOVES it!!

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Tomorrow is my weigh-in at work for the Biggest Loser. I am REALLY hoping that I have lost something. I wasn't able to get the gym membership set up last week so I haven't been to the gym yet. But I did a fantastic job of sticking with my diet this past week. Seriously, lots of fruit and veggies. And I made a big effort to make sure that my meals were very low fat. My biggest problem now is trying to come up with a bigger variety of dinner ideas. I am not a fantastic cook, nor do I really like to cook, so it is hard for me to figure out what to make. Usually if we are short on food or time I just run out and get fast food. Well I am not doing that anymore. So now I have to figure out how to be creative in the kitchen. I am open to suggestions.

I will let you know how the weigh-in goes tomorrow.

Until next time,

Biggest Loser

On Monday I stepped onto the scale and officially started my New Year's resolution. Let me tell you that looking at my weight was the low point for me. I wasn't quite expecting that result. But I will never see that number again!!

I had made the decision to change my lifestyle and eating habits before the new year. But then a group of people that I work with also wanted to do the same thing. So we have joined together in the Biggest Loser at work. There is a group of 13 that is competing for a $650 grand prize. The prize money would be great, but for me the real prize will be getting healthy and changing my life. But if I do win I will need that money to buy new clothes that fit!!

Seriously now, I am struggling with what to eat. I have not had the best eating habits and I am really focusing on changing that. However, my tummy has noticed the change and tonight it is telling me that it misses the crap. But I will get past this and move on to a healthier new me. I know that sounds cliche, but it WILL happen.

I might update on my weekly weigh in, I might not. We'll just see how it goes.

Until next time,