Weekend eating is hard. (Tiffany)

I don't know about you but we eat out a lot on the weekends. My hubs works a part time job and gets home late so we eat pizza. Friday night we had O'Charley's (BUT I didn't have any bread and I had salad!). It seems like weekends are going to be my struggle when it comes to keeping my eating in check. Somehow, even with pizza and pop on Saturday, I only went over my points by 6 which just took them from my extra allowance. So hopefully it's not a big deal, I just need to keep in control this week and get back on track. No more pizza!

I kind of like eating healthier. (Tiffany)

I know it's only been 4 days but I'm enjoying this lifestyle change. I feel better already when I make better choices. And what I really like with WW is that I'm able to still eat the things I love in moderation. I totally had m&ms yesterday but I split the bag in half so it was only 3 points. Today I still have 10 or so points I didn't use... I know they say to use them but I'm not going to eat just to eat so I guess they'll be "wasted" today. The scale is moving in the right direction too, yahoo! I'm going to try to not obsess over it and just weigh in on Saturdays but it's new so I'm sure I'll obsess for a couple weeks. I know it's early and things are going to get hard but so far? So far I like WW and I'm feeling good. :)

A New Beginning (Tiffany)

It took a comment from a near-stranger to kick my butt in gear. While out at dinner a friend of a friend commented that she didn't recognize me because I'd gained weight. Needless to say, it had been YEARS since I'd seen her anyway... but that's just an excuse. I overheard this comment, got pissed off and motivated. So, here I go!

In high school, I was around 175-180 pounds. A size 14-16 and looking back I think I looked pretty good. That's my goal weight.


Now, as of Saturday April 21st I weigh 243.2 pounds. GAG. Here are my "beginning" photos.

It's bad, I know. Don't worry... I will never look like this again. At my absolute highest weight, I was pushing 300 pounds. I was 9 months pregnant with my firstborn, but still. I started off his pregnancy around 265 and that was the highest I'd ever been non-pregnant. I breastfed him and lost about 70 pounds without trying. When I got pregnant with the twins, I was 234. They are almost 3 months old now and although I had lost all of the weight (with the exception of a pound or two that kept fluctuating) I'm about 10 pounds heavier now than when I got pregnant last summer.

I've never tried to diet before. I joined a gym once but that's about it. So this is new territory for me. My weakness is sweets- in particular, chocolate. I'm going to have to learn portion control for sure because I know I'll never be able to give it up entirely.

I believe in small goals so for now, I just want to focus on learning weight watchers, making healthier eating choices and seeing a loss. My "long term" goal is to be under 200 pounds by the end of the summer. Because I am nursing twins, I have a higher caloric need than most so I'm going to have to still meet those needs. 2 days into WW though and I've already lost and have been making better choices so I know it's going to work if I put my mind to it.

Thanks for joining me on this journey... I'm looking forward to it! :)

Weigh In (All)

Another week in the past.....

Melissa: 

Well I was up .5 lbs this week. I took a pic, but blah, don't feel like posting it. So I'm at 203 lbs right now. I'm bummed about my first gain in months, but not too upset. I ate some easter candy, but also ran 10 miles this week. I tried a new exercise class and was super sore for days! I ran a 5k today and shaved off 2 minutes from my previous race finishing at 36:10! So that's the progress I like to see!!! I am going to run this week, keep my eating in check (we threw out the rest of the candy) and going to my Barre N9ne class on Wed and Sun!

Teri:

I am down 1.4 lbs this week, basically what I gained last week plus an extra .1. I will take it! I really focused on what I was eating this week, as well as put my energy in working out - hit the gym 3x with hardcore cardio and some circuit training. Here is hoping that I officially see 20 lbs gone this week, and if a few extra pounds are gone too, I won't be sad!

This week I plan to continue the same, drink more water, and go to the gym 4x this week. I am also signing up for a 5K for mid-May. My hope is to run and walk, and see how I do for my very first attempt! I welcome any and all support:)

Amanda:

An even 180.0 this week. I know, the scale is going the wrong way. It's so weird/bad/wrong to see it doing that. I did Zumba three times this week, and ate within my new "maintain" calorie goal of 1900. . . maybe it's set too high? Or maybe I should go to the doctor and see what's wrong with me ;)

This week I plan to do Zumba (Tues & Thur) and I need to get back on my walk/ugly jog schedule, especially since I have a 5K get-together with these lovely ladies in two months!

Cheryl:

 

I have to admit I have been a huge slacker. I have been slacking with exercise and healthy food choices.  Here is my official restarting weight. 

Erin: 

I am at 213.2 now. I have let my weight go too much in the past few weeks. So, here is my official restarting weight. I am going to the grocery store tonight when my husband gets home and restocking on produce and healthier food. My Jillian Michaels workout is also starting tonight after the kids go to bed. 

Nikki:

Finally!  The scale says something other than 189.6!  I'm not sure what was going on but I finally lost weight this past week.  I didn't do much exercise last week, I only ran once, but I did eat well.  I'm going hiking this upcoming weekend so hopefully I will feel more energetic than the last time I hiked now that I weigh less.

Family visit review (Melissa)

Okay, so I went and visited with my family. FIL, StepMIL, and SIL said nothing. Although, I wouldn't be surprised if they just didn't know what to say. DH and I did go for a 3 mile run while we were down there so they obviously knew we have been exercising and such.

Then we visit with my dad, grandfather, uncle, aunt, and cousin. Nothing there either. I'm actually surprised my dad didn't say anything because he usually notices when people gain/lose weight.

Okay so moving onto the rest of my family. Grandma was very complimentary! She was like "you look so good!" "you haven't been this skinny in a long time!" "You look great!" It was great to hear some compliments! Then I saw my aunt, and she said nothing. Then last came my mother. She did give some compliments of how I look good. Then I was outside talking to her and she goes "You look really good, but you still have your thighs" I replied with "Yes, mom, thanks to you and G-ma I have a wonderful pear shape!"

I knew she was going to compliment me and then make some other comment. I bit my tongue and didn't say much else as I handed her two bags of size 18s, 20s, XXL and 1X shirts.

So I really only got compliments from my mom and gma, so it makes me wonder, is it not that noticeable or do people just not know what to say? It's okay to compliment someone on losing weight. I've worked hard and would just like to know that others notice. I feel selfish for saying that, but its' true.

As for the eating, I kept it in check, except for one night. Oh the pizza dip and buffalo chicken cheesesteak was soo good! Then I topped it off with a root beer float (although it was light ice cream and diet root beer). I felt sooo gross after. Lesson learned, it was way too much food!

This week I am back on track. I went for a run on Tuesday, tried a new exercise class (Barre N9ne) and will be going for a 4 mile run today, then tomorrow back to Barre N9ne. I am excited for the new class and hope it will help tone up my muscles!! I am so sore today so I hope I can do the full 4 miles, but we shall see.

Time to visit family (Melissa)

So tonight I head down to NJ to visit with my family and my husband's family (well dad's side). We have not been down there since January and that was 35lbs ago! I am also bringing two huge bags of clothes to give to my mother and sister (all sizes 18s and 20s, see ya!). I hope by getting rid of them I won't ever go back into them or have that feeling its okay to gain weight because I have a ton of clothes to fit into.

So we'll see what my family's reactions are. But I am also worried about the eating situation. Please give me the strength to resist all the snacking that takes place at FILs! They always make dips and appetizers and its so hard not to eat them all! I am bringing my running gear and my husband and I plan to go for a run on Saturday and thats a huge change because I have never exercised while away from home!

So I'm nervous and excited for this trip home!! Wish me luck on the eating and please let my family be kind and compliment me!

Weigh In (All)

One more week of hard work in the books, how did the scale reflect that???

Melissa:

Down another 2.5 lbs this week, for a total loss of 42.5 lbs. I am getting so close to Onederland!! I am secretly hoping to see 199.5 this Friday. I have to weigh in on Friday instead of Saturday because we are going to NJ to visit family for the weekend. I am excited to see my family and show them how hard I have been working. I met my goal of running 12 miles last week (actually ran 13.5). I even ran 4 miles on Friday!! This week I am going to make sure I run 3x and I already ran yesterday so that leaves Tue and Thurs! I have settled into a good routine so controlling my eating and getting exercise in has become less challenging. Even at Easter dinner last night I limited how much food I ate. Usually I just eat constantly, but this time I actually showed some self-control! Here's looking to next week!

Amanda:

In my defense, I didn't weigh-in on Friday because I wasn't at my usual scale, so I weighed in this AM - the morning after Easter Day, which in terms of caloric intake, may actually be worse than Christmas. All I've eaten for the last 24 hours is an assortment of Peeps, Egg-like Malted Milk Balls, Reese Cups, Jelly Beans and part of a chocolate covered bunny. So it is no surprise that I am up a pound this week, not my proudest moment on CTC, but I'm also not stressing over it. ;)

I did manage to participate in a killer game of kickball yesterday, where I scored not one, but two runs! I pushed passed those bases like a crazy fit lady!

Nikki:
This week the scale says the exact same thing as last week, 189.6. I wish it were a loss, but hey at least it's not a gain. It looks like I have hit a plateau in my weight loss journey, I guess it's time to change things up. I just started an exercise routine last week, the C25K, so hopefully that will help the pounds come off. In addition to running, I want to do something else too, maybe yoga. Since I hold or wear my baby most of the day, I may as well get some exercise in while holding her. I have a mom and baby yoga DVD in my virtual shopping cart, just trying to decide if it's something that I will actually do.

Teri:

I am down .2 lbs, so not much of anything BUT the 172 number is so beautiful to me. It means I am only .7 away from 20 lbs total gone!
Hoping to see that and more this week, however I indulged too much this holiday weekend and pulled a muscle in my back after my workout on Saturday. I hope to get back to the gym tomorrow but I may have to go slow this week.
I controlled my eating today and stayed within my calorie count. Trying to stay on track!!

Just have to brag (Melissa)

OMG, so I just ran 4 miles!! I am planning to do a half marathon this September or October and want to start increasing my mileage. So today, since I was off and the girls are at daycare I decided to try running 4 miles. I mapped a 4 mile route (thanks to mapmyrun.com) and made plans to go after I ran some errands this morning. I ended up running into a friend while at Old Navy and we got coffee but I told her that I had to leave to go home and run! I think that's the first time I've put running ahead of socializing!!

Anyway, I knew once I started running I wouldn't stop, but I just dreaded how long it would take. The worst part....miles 1.5 to 2.5 were all uphill! It was a slight incline the whole mile and I had a strong wind coming off a pond to contend with! Then the stupid map was wrong so the road that was supposed to connect to another was actually a dead end so I had to loop back (so actually I ended up running 4.11 miles). But I just chugged along!!! I knew once I got to mile 3 I would be fine because the last mile is a slight downhill the whole way. It took me 50:39, which is a 12:20 mile pace. I am very pleased!!! I am really loving it too, the time to myself to think and just observe the scenery (sounds so corny, right?). I love knowing that what I am doing is making me healthier, helping me lose weight, and look better at the same time!!

Now we'll see what the scale says tomorrow :-)

I Did It (Nikki)

I finally got my fat butt off the couch today and went for a run.  I think it's been 3 years since I last ran so it wasn't a pretty sight. 

I've been thinking about running for the past couple weeks but I kept making excuses.  And to be honest, just the thought of running made my boobs hurt.  I've been living in nursing tanks for the past three months so the thought of my girls bouncing around in an ill fitting sports bra was enough to keep me from putting any kind of bounce in my step.  But today I said screw it.  As soon as my husband came home from work I handed him the baby, threw on some workout clothes and left the house.  Ahhh freedom.  I think that was the first time in three months that I didn't have at least one kid to tote around.

My original plan was to just go out and run for as long as I could with some walking breaks whenever I needed them but I figured without a structured plan, I am less likely to stay motivated and keep running on a regular basis.  So instead, I am doing the Couch to 5K routine.  Today I did the very first workout and it went very well.  The girls actually stayed put but I felt bouncing in other places.  Hopefully I will continue to lose weight and there will be less bouncing and jiggling.  The 60 second intervals of running actually went by really fast and the whole 20 minute workout was over with in no time.  While running, I was reminded how much I love it and how good it will feel once I get back into shape.  It felt great to get out into the fresh air and know that I am finally working towards a healthier me.  And the best part, I got some very much needed time by myself.

Weigh In (All)

Another week in the books, how did we do?

Melissa:

I was very pleased to be down 3 lbs this week, making me down a total of 40 lbs! Whoohoo! I am only 6 lbs from Onederland and can't wait to get there!! I am seeing family in two weeks and can't wait to show them how much I have lost. I'd like to lose another 5 lbs before then (maybe 6?) but I am just going to focus on working out and eating right and hopefully the scale will reflect that! My goal for this week is to run 12 miles (either three 4 mile runs or four 3 mile runs) and stay within my daily calorie allowance!

Amanda:

Another week of maintenance here, 177.6, so technically down an entire 2 ounces. With the weather being nice I have found myself outside more doing every day things: mulching, weeding, playing with the kid and doing less of the have to: going to the gym. I also haven't been logging at myfitnesspal.com as religiously as I had. I feel like I am a very routine eater, so I know what things "cost" and how much of something I can eat - I don't need the calculator anymore, I already have the tool in my mind. I'm hoping for another week of maintenance, if I loose great, if not, I won't be heart broken.

Nikki:

Well, my losing streak is over. At least it was only 0.3 pound gain so that's not too much, not enough to discourage me. And I am still under 190 so that makes me happy. My milk supply dropped last week so I focused on making sure I was taking in enough calories to produce milk rather than focusing on losing weight. And now that I think about it, I don't think I did any exercise all week. My goal for this week is get in more exercise!

Teri:

I finally broke through that month-long plateau, and lost 2.3 lbs this week. I am down a total of 19 lbs, and its a beautiful thing. I am continuing to track my foods and have really started trying to change up what I am eating more, and really focusing on limiting the sweets.

As for working out, I went 4x last week, and met with a trainer. He has started me on a program as if I am training for a marathon, so I have changed up my exercise routine for the past few workouts, and will start circuit training this week.

I am wearing many of my jeans that were pre-pregnancy and they fit perfectly, almost a little loose. I am feeling way more comfortable with my body, and people are starting to notice the just about 20 lb loss. It makes me want to continue doing what I am doing!!


Erin: 

I gained 1.6 lbs, but I was expecting much worse. I am going to keep on track this week and hopefully see some loss on Friday. I was just in a funk last week and wasn't very motivated. I am starting my Jillian Michaels workout at home this week also, so that should definitely help.