Weigh In (All)

Teri


No scale picture this week since I maintained and weighed in at 164 this week. Honestly, I am impressed that I didn't gain at all.


I have definitely been less strict with myself, allowing myself a more indulgences than normal. I am certainly not getting wild and crazy, going back to old ways but I am also not completely focused with my weight loss journey and the scale showed that. 


I am hoping to regain some focus this week, its all a mental game. I need to skip the extra indulgent foods, add in some extra gym time, and amp up the water intake (yes, I know the story of my life!)


I also need my girls to be on me about accountability! So, come on girls:)


Melissa


Well this was a good week!  I weighed in at 188 at my doctors on Wednesday (that was fully clothed), but today my scale read 184.5!!  So that puts me at 60.5 lbs gone!!  Whoohooo!  So glad to finally hit the 60 lbs mark because I had been maintaining the last month.  I ran 4.5 miles last night and I am hoping as my mileage increases so will the weight loss.  I also made sure I ate more protein by making smoothies and using chicken breast more.  My next goal is 174, which will place me in the overweight category according to my BMI, so it will be great to no longer be considered obese!!  I'd like to see this number on Labor Day.  Thats about 10 lbs in 5 weeks..  I'm going to work hard and hope I meet my goal!  If not I will still be happy that I've increased my running and endurance.


My plan for the week... eat more protein, Barre class 2x, and then run 12 miles this week (5 miles tomorrow, then 3 on Tuesday, and 4 miles on Thursday).  As always I will drink lots of water!!


Amanda

Ummm ... can't explain the picture, just consider it art.


Weighed in this week in the same pound as last week. Maintenance is definitely half of the battle. I have been enjoying meals and beers with my family, but at least have been able to keep myself in check; knowing when to stop, and when I need to work out.


Looking to do the same this week, all though I still would love to see 169 by the time I go to the beach in September. Need to regain a little bit of focus like Teri mentioned above. Must find the motivation I had the last year and continue it on for at least another!

Fit Foodie Friday (Teri)

So it seems that a summer slump has hit..at least for me. While I have been tracking and still making reasonable food decisions for most meals as well as hitting the gym, my motivation is lacking.  I feel like I have come way down from the excitement and anticipation of meeting Amanda and Melissa, and now I have nothing to look forward to related to this journey. I think that another GTG is needed as soon as possible. But I also think that I just miss those girls and wished we lived closer to each other.


Since I need some inspiration in the worst way, why not start something new here?  So I was thinking, lets share some healthy recipes that we have tried to try to inspire and/or motivate each other. Are you in, girls?


This week, I will share my new favorite go to snack, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cashew Butter.

I stumbled across Jennifer's blog a few weeks ago, and am obsessed with it. Her recipes always look so delicious (um those skinny coffee drinks!), and I can't wait to try some more.  When I came across her recipe for this nut butter, I needed to try it. And its as easy as it sounds to make, and is absolutely amazing and low in calories, score!! I snack on this with sliced apples, Trader Joe's Honey Wheat pretzel sticks, and in some cases, just by itself! It is that good!  Enjoy!

                                          Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cashew Butter

                                                         via Peanut Butter and Peppers

Prep Time: 1 minute

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 32 Tbsp.

Serving Size: 1 Tbsp.

Ingredients

1. 4 cups cashews, roasted, unsalted
2. 5 tsp. vanilla extract
3. 1 tbsp. coconut oil
4. 3/4 tsp. salt
5. 4 tsp. brown sugar
6. 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Add cashews to food processor and blend until a big lump forms. You will likely have to scrape the sides of the bowl a few times. Once the lump forms, add the vanilla extract, coconut oil, salt and brown sugar and blend until desired consistency. For a creamier nut butter, add a pinch more coconut oil.
2. Add to a bowl and let cool. Once cooled, stir in chocolate chips. Store in an airtight container.

Nutrition Breakdown

Calories per tablespoon: 57.7, Fat: 4.5, Cholesterol: 0, Sodium: 1.5, Potassium: 2, Carbs: 3.9, Fiber: .03, Sugar: 2.3, Protein: 1.3

Weigh-In (All)

Heather:

183.0.....woot! Though I know it was not done in the healthiest manner, I'm still happy with the number.  I have had WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too many carbs this week.  MFP is not happy with me and it letting me know. My goal for this coming week is to drink enough water.  I've come to realize that some days I only drink 1 or 2 glasses. 


Amanda:

Oh, how good it feels to break the 175 barrier. Despite having eaten a few too many calories the night before weigh-in (it was my birthday, get off my back) I still managed to do it. Hopefully I can stay under from here on out. I know what my problem is - it's not not working out, it's not not knowing what to eat, it's getting in lazy slumps. I let one bad meal drag me down and influence more bad meals to follow. Gotta stop that! Say no to Chick Fil-a!

I skipped a few gym days this week but I've been painting some extra walls in my house and I feel like that's a good workout. As long as I keep my mind off food, I don't crave food. "Must stay busy!" is my new mantra.

I've also rediscovered Plato's Closet. I'm not too proud to shop thrift, and it is a great way to stock the closet when clothes don't last very long on your body for cheap! See above. :)

Melissa: 
No weigh in from me.  I am waiting to step on the scale until I weigh in at my Barre skinny jean challenge.  I am hoping it will be done tonight or Wednesday.  Otherwise my next weigh in will be after my yearly physical on July 25th!  I want to focus on my half marathon training and not the number on the scale.  I just finished the first week.  I'm a little bummed because I was supposed to run 4 miles yesterday but it was so darn hot I barely did 3.25.  So this week I have to do 2, 3, and 5 miles.  Tomorrow I am going to try 4 miles to make up for not doing it yesterday.  The rest of the week will be a challenge since Abby and I are headed to NJ to watch my little cousins for the weekend!  I am really hoping I can squeeze in a run Thursday night and then Sunday night.  Wish me luck!!!

Lauren:
Things are not going so well here.  I have managed to gain back up to almost where I was over a month ago.  I am having a really hard time mentally getting myself jump started.  SOOOO... I sent out an email and started a biggest loser at my office.  We have official weigh ins on Monday mornings and today was our first.  I am excited to have people at work to commiserate with!  So wish me luck--- the next 12 weeks I hope to really get my booty in gear.


Teri:

Down 1.6 lbs this week, woot! Just 2.8 pounds away from 30 pounds lost total, and getting closer to my goal weight! I kept my cravings under control and worked out 4 days last week. In fact, I was so dedicated to my workout schedule, I even walked 2 miles on Thursday even, an hour after breaking a finger. I also spent 45 minutes with a hard core cardio workout on Saturday, despite the broken finger and a tumble down the stairs on Friday, bruising myself pretty badly. Dedicated, yes! Accident-prone, apparently! Graceful, not a chance! Anyhow, goals this week include back on track with eating (I indulged this weekend a bit more than I would have liked), and exercise! Hoping to see a loss this week but if I maintain I will be happy to!

Cheryl:
No picture this week. I was disgusted with the scale. I am up 2 lbs this week. Hopefully its just because AF is in town! 

Tiffany:
According to the scale at my ILs, I'm still ranging between 229.0 and 231.0. Depends on the day! I'm not doing anything special except eating smaller portions, drinking more water, and not eating too late at night. I know I need to kick it back into gear but it's hard when I don't have my own kitchen, my own groceries, etc. So for now, I'm happy to be maintaining and I plan to move that number down very soon. 

Nikki:



Erin:

Weigh In (All)

Cheryl:

 Down 2.6! I am finally seeing my hard work from last week paying off!

Heather:

Need to weigh in tomorrow and grab a picture.

Amanda:

176.0 - Still no forward progress, as the lowest I've seen on CTC is 174.8. However, it was nice to take some time away from the scale - this is just proof that I can maintain on my own. I do feel great about my body when I don't step on the scale every other day, I'm happy in my skin and that is what counts. I still would love to see 169, so that will continue to be my next mini goal.

The hubs and I have talked about trying to conceive again, and well I am putting it on hold until after we get back from vacation in September. At this point if it happened right away I would be in that miserable stage when we go, and I don't want that. So maybe lots of boom boom time while on vacation in hopes for a June 2013 baby!

Teri:

I weighed in at the exact same weight as last week, 166.4. I really wanted to see less, was mindful of my calorie count (with the exception of last Tuesday's birthday celebration, and I didn't even eat cake!) and fit in a few workouts but the scale didn't budge.

I will continue to focus on watching what I eat and working out this week. I am anxious to get into the 150s but I would be surprised if I can get there by the end of this month as I had hoped. I will continue to chug along, its been working the last 7 months, surely it will keep on keeping on:)

MyFitnessPal.com (Heather)

So, I joined.  And I filled out all my information, you know, the nitty gritty: weight, height, goal....I even did body measurements.  According to the site, I should be eating 1,660 calories a day and doing 30 minutes of exercise a week....enough to burn 620 calories.  Using their trusty calculator, I found out that 30 minutes of swimming freestyle laps of light to moderate intensity will burn 297 calories.  WOW (no wonder I used to eat a pound of pasta with meatsauce plus a salad and garlic bread for dinner when I was a competitive swimmer........this ish burns calories!)

I even planned out my meals for tomorrow.  Snacks are still up in the air.  And I hope what I planned fills me up.  A friend gave me some good advice.  She said to keep shredded iceberg lettuce in the house, fill my plate with that and put my protein/veggies on top of that.  It adds crunch and helps full you up for only 10 calories (3 carbs & 1 protein per 3 oz serving).  As long as you don't feel the need to add dressing, it really does help.  Kind of like snacking on celery......I believe you exert more calories to chew it then you gain from eating it. 

Oh, and the body measurements.......shell shock.  Are those really my measurements?  Sadly, yes.  I am going to the Physical Therapist on Tuesday and am 99% confident I am going to be released for all exercise.  Then its time to get serious. 

Here's to hoping you'll be hearing from me a lot more (and calling me out if you don't)

A bad hand of cards (Tiffany)

We've been dealt a pretty bad hand of cards lately. Long story short is that our upstairs neighbors water heater broke and completely flooded our apartment. We're living with my in-laws until we either hear about the house or find somewhere else to live.

In all of the craziness I haven't stepped on a scale (mine got ruined) or tracked a thing. Call it an excuse if you want but quite frankly it's the absolute last thing on my mind right now. I'll be taking a brief hiatus while we get our life turned right side up again. I'm not quitting and I'm not giving up. I'm just going to focus on my family while making good choices and keep faith that the scale and my body will reflect that once my life is back to normal.

Oh and I had a gift card to kohls so I did some browsing. Size 18 capris fit great and size 16 shorts (albeit with elastic on the sides of the waistband) fit! And I tried on an XL from the misses instead of a 1X or 2X from plus size and liked what I saw. It's only going to get better from here... In all regards.

Weigh-In (All)

Tiffany

I'm not sure if I'm late or everyone else just isn't weighing in. haha. Anyway, I have a picture but I'm too tired to mess with it right now. I "lost" .2 pounds this week so I was at 229.6 on Saturday morning. This has been a SUPER STRESSFUL week so I'm okay with not really losing. It's not a gain and that's great! I also took 2 normal walks and a 5k walk this week, so I'm proud of myself.

Amanda

I didn't weight in officially, buuuuuuuuuut, I did step on the scale (DOPE!). In my defense I was fully clothed, including shoes, and more curious than anything about how our weekend get together affected me. I felt bloated from travel and the few drinks we had and well it looks like the scale is moving in my favor!

I had a great week last week, an excellent weekend with the girls all the while staying on track and this week I have been kicking ass and taking names with my workouts and 1200 calories. I really hope to see some great results when I step on the scale naked in 2 weeks.

Teri

I did step on the scale last week but forgot to snap a photo. I was up .2 lbs, which I wasn't surprised about but .2 lbs is more like maintenance so I was ok with it. And last Friday was the only day I stepped on the scale, this is what I am most proud of. Lately, I have seriously struggled with checking what my number on the scale was almost daily. It is unhealthy, and I honestly, am not interested in becoming obsessive about the number. I just want to be healthy!

I had a fantastic weekend with the girls, we tracked everything we ate and drank, got in some quality exercise, and it was awesome! This week, I have been limited with my workouts but every day but one stayed at 1200 calories or below. I hope to get back to some quality workouts this weekend/next week, and see a nice drop on the scale next week.

Dropped the Ball

My initial title was "I Suck" but I am trying to not be so self depreciating.  So I'll stick with saying that I have seriously dropped the ball.......its not even in the same game as me anymore.  Right around the time I joined this blog, my son turned 1.  I also slipped and fell, either bruising or breaking my tailbone and am STILL not allowed to do a full impact work-out.  We had a party, and were in the process of looking for a new apartment.  Found one on an insanely quick turn.  We had the keys in hand less then 3 weeks later.  Then came the packing, and the moving, and the unpacking, and getting the kiddo adjusted to his new place.  So then what did we do, go back to my parents for a week to dog-sit while they went away.  Like I said, ball not even in my game anymore.  We are leaving tomorrow morning for a weekend away and a wedding.  Yea......because nobody ever overeats at a wedding.  By the way, I'm in the wedding and I HATE the way my dress looks.  I'd hate the way any dress would look.  No amount of Spanx can help me.

I am so mad at myself.  It seems like I am constantly saying, "When X happens, I'll be accountable."  I need to be accountable NOW.  I know my cholesterol is high and both of my parents have Type II Diabetes.  WTF am I waiting for?  I want to be healthy for my son.  I want to be able to run around with him without getting winded. I want to look better in my clothes.  I want to feel better in general.  I want, I want, I want....yea, I also want cookies.  I used to have a fabulous, no seriously F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S, metabolism.  My mind just can't seem to grasp that it isn't there anymore. 

I just weighed myself (post-dinner) and am at 188.6.  I plan to do a first thing, naked weigh-in tomorrow morning, but might not get it online before our flight.  Here's to hoping SOMETHING clicks and really gets me moving this time. 

Weigh-In (All)

Another week down... what happened, ladies? 


Tiffany

Hi there, 220's... so nice to see you.
230's- I'd like to not see you ever again, thanks. :)
I'm about 6.something pounds away from 20 pounds lost. I'm hoping to see that by the end of the month.

Melissa: 

Well down another pound this week for a total of 57 gone!  Whoohoo!  I'd love to lose 3 more pounds by June 30th when I have to get weighed in for my barre class challenge.  But, like Amanda, I'd like to step away from being so dependent on the scale to dictate my success.  I am for ditching the scale for a month and focusing on fitness and exercise as my goals.  Like, I ran 5 miles on Friday and was sooo stinkin proud of myself!  But then was bummed that the scale was only down 1 lb.  So I am going to focus on increasing my miles each week and continue eating as clean as possible!


Teri:

Woot, 25 lbs gone, it is a beautiful thing!  Of course, this mama would like to lose a bit more but much like Amanda and Melissa, I am tired of being a slave to the scale. In the last few weeks, I have become obsessed with the number on the scale, checking daily to see what number I am at, whether I am fluctuating, etc. While it is helpful to get me to a lower weight on Friday morning, it is not a healthy frame of mind, and I would like to just focus on doing what I have been doing - tracking my food, continuing to eat healthy, working out, and getting stronger.  We will see if I am strong enough to resist, but I would like to give it a shot!

Amanda:

I got on the scale Friday, but didn't get a picture. I was at 177.4 - not my finest. This is it for me, I'll check in with you all weekly, but I am off the scale until my ONE YEAR mark. I am going to make these next 3-4 weeks about hard work and how I feel, not about what I weigh.

Lauren:

Another loss this week.  I was so busy party planning that I figured it would be a loss.  Next week is going to be very rough though.  Ugh.  We are traveling to an indoor waterpark with the kids and it turns out I am going to be on my own with them for most of the first day.  

Erin:


Welp, still no camera, but I weighed in at exactly 210 on Sunday morning. Not a huge loss, but I wasn't expecting it to be. I messed up my toe good Wednesday by stubbing it which made it bleed and jacked up my toenail. It got infected and sore, so I haven't been able to work out because it hurt to even walk on it a certain way. It is getting better, so I hope I can run in the next couple of days with my new to me jogging stroller. I especially want to be able to run this weekend to support Teri, Amanda, and Melissa who will be running their 5k :)

 Cheryl:

 

After being gone 2 weekends in a row, hosting a baby shower and attending a retirement party, I finally am in control! I started the day with a healthy 4.6 mile walk!  I am down 3 lbs since my last weigh in here, down 1 lb since last week. 

Summer Vacation is here! (Melissa)

So today is my first day of summer vacation!  I don't go back until August 27th, so thats about 11 weeks off!  That's 11 more weigh ins and the chance to WOW everyone when I go back in the fall!  I'd love to lose another 20 lbs this summer, but I am figuring maybe more about 15.  I want to be realistic so I don't set myself up for disappointment.

So now that summer is upon me, I think about my plan for the summer.  Working was easy in regards to planning and tracking my food since I brought my own lunch and snacks every day.  While home during the summer I don't eat as regularly and sorta just snack more throughout the day.  I will make sure I have healthy foods in the house and not bring any junk into the house.  I actually worry about getting in all my calories since I won't be eating snack at 10am with my students and then lunch at noon.  So this is going to be a challenge!

I am also going to start training for a half marathon, so my real focus this summer is going to be on exercise!  I am planning to go on my long runs on Tuesdays since all my girls will be in daycare that day.  Tomorrow I am going for a 4 mile run and then next week will attempt 5 miles!  I am going to slowly increase my distance while continuing to attend my Barre classes 2-3 days a week.

I have a size 12 pair of capris I bought years ago on sale at Old Navy for $5... they still have the tag on them and I have never worn size 12, so wearing those capris when I go back to school in the fall is also part of my goal!!  Wish me luck as I begin my new summer challenge!

Weigh In (All)

Another week down, hopefully some pounds went with it...


Melissa:


Down 2 lbs this week for a total of 56!!  And um, hello 180s!!!  The last time I was here was probably in college in 2002.  So excited to see the scale going down.  I am more happier about the real changes I have made in my life!  I was alone and annoyed on Friday night but I did not turn to food to help me!!  I just drank plenty of water and then read for a couple hours!  Before I would have totally had some chocolate, or anything else I could find in the house.  Even on my indulge day today I didn't even feel like going crazy and eating poorly.  I know this new mind frame will stay with me as I continue this journey!


My goal for the week, attend my usual 3 Barre classes and then run 3x.  It's my last week of school and then I am off for the summer!  So I will begin to adjust my new lifestyle to my change in schedule for the summer!  I am also going to start training for a half marathon and moving towards longer runs once a week.  I am very excited about the summer and making myself healthier!

Teri:

Down 2.8 lbs this week, just shy of 25 lbs lost. I was so excited!  This week, I only worked out 3x but I one day I actually ran to the gym and back, and did my 30 minute circuit training.  I need to get some cardio in anyhow, so what better way than to run to and from the gym. I NEVER would have attempted to do this in the past, so I was quite proud of myself.  I also shaved 2 minutes off of my 5K time, which I hope pays off at our CTC 5K run in 2 weeks.

As for eating, I really bumped up my protein intake, and I think that makes a difference for me. I noticed that when I tend to eat more protein each day, my body responds better. So, I plan to keep that up!  This week, I will be hitting the gym at least 2x with another day or two devoted to a run.  My husband is out of town all week, so I may also do some Zumba on the PS3 so I don't need to figure out childcare on those evenings.  I am also finding that its easier to make better choices when eating out for celebrations, my motivation is wearing the size 10 J Crew shorts and a pair of Gap jeans that I bought before I found out I was pregnant three years ago, some with tags on them still, that now zip up comfortably, without spanx! Score!!

Erin:

Still no camera around these parts, I am going to have to remember to borrow Jeremy's phone this week for weigh-in. But, I am down to 210.2! Not a big loss, but I will take 1.2 lbs. I am really kicking it into high gear this week with the running and Jillian Michaels workout DVDs. I am also going to start eating 6 small meals a day, upping my water intake, and trying to cut out all white carbs/sugars and processed foods. Can't wait to see what this week's weigh in brings. 

Tiffany:
I'm on my phone bc I don't have any time to myself to actually get on the computer but I figured a non-formatted quick post is better than Melissa kicking me out for not posting. :-P

Anyway I weighed in Sat at 230.8 which is a loss of 2.4 pounds. I attribute it fully to drinking at least 120 ounces of water every day. I sure as heck didn't eat well- birthday celebrations and anniversary celebrations. Hopefully this week I can keep up the water intake AND eat healthy.

Lauren:

Still losing.  Not my fastest- but I'll take it.  I hope to get more exercise in this week, last week was tough!

Nikki:

I'm late checking in, but I wanted to quick post that I weighed in this week at 185.8, the same weight as last week.  I wish it were a loss, but at least it's not a gain.  I ate well last week, except the night before weigh-in, we went to the Olive Garden and I ate lots of cheesy goodness.  Things are really hectic right now, we're madly cleaning out our house and getting ready for a big move so it's been a challenge to eat healthy when it's not always the most convenient.  But, I really want to lose the weight so I'll keep chugging along.

Fit back into the dress! (Melissa)

So I have lost almost 55 lbs and haven't posted any new pics since 20 lbs.  I had my husband take some pics, but he really sucks at taking pics and they keep coming out blurry.  So anyway, we went to a wedding this weekend and I fit back into a dress that I wore the summer we got married.  Its a size 14 and it actually fit better this time then it did the summer when I wore it.  So yay, for fitting into a dress I have not worn in 4 years!!  Don't mind my crazy eyes but I couldn't get rid of the red eye!

Accountability (Erin)

I had a discussion with my husband this past weekend about holding me accountable for my actions. I told him that I wanted him to be brutally honest with me, no matter what. If he thinks I am slacking on exercise, I want him to tell me. I told him what days I was planning on doing C25K and my Jillian Michaels workouts and if I tried making an excuse to tell me to get off my butt and exercise. He also has free reign to tell me to step away from the food/drinks if need be. I told him I need an ever present person in my life to help hold me accountable for my actions (besides you ladies of course ;-)) and so far he has held up his end of the deal. He has come home every day this week so far and asked when I am going to work out and we discuss what we both ate that day. He has also been telling me he is proud of me, which makes me happy.

I also made the decision that I need to hold myself accountable for my actions. Eating a pint of Ben & Jerry's is a temporary good feeling, it won't make me feel better afterwards. Drinking a soda is just empty calories, my body will much more satisfied eating my calories in a healthy way. Eating a salad for lunch will make me feel better than eating a Big Mac. Exercising each evening will give me time alone, make me sweat, and make me feel good about myself, sitting on the couch all night won't. By doing all of these things I will help myself lead a new, healthier lifestyle and set good, healthy examples for my children.

CTC Get Together: Marfan Mad Dash 5K (Teri)

As Amanda mentioned on Friday, a few of us Cut the Crap girls will be meeting up for the first time and participating in the Marfan Mad Dash 5K in late June.  Amanda, Melissa and I had a great idea a few months back to plan a get together to not only meet, but do something that has incorporated our lifestyle changes and ultimately, what has bonded us so closely. 

We decided on a 5K, came up with a weekend that worked, and was on the search for a location that was central to the three of us. We were unable to locate anything centrally that seemed like it would work, and other dates just were not panning out.  I decided to throw out, maybe running in a 5K that was behind a cause so I took to google and plugged in Marfan 5Ks. It just so happened that the Marfan Mad Dash was on the same weekend that the 3 of us were available, and like that the Cut the Crap Get Together was born!

So, what is Marfan Syndrome and what is the significance to participate in this 5K? Here is some background on Marfan Syndrome and my story.

Marfan syndrome is a genetic disorder of the connective tissue that can affect the skeleton, eyes, heart and blood vessels. It is estimated that more than 200,000 people in the U.S. are affected by Marfan syndrome or a related connective tissue disorder. Marfan syndrome is often hereditary, but approximately 25-30% of affected people are the first in their family to have the disorder. Thousands do not even know that they are affected. 

And the significance? My family is affected by this disorder. 

In 1989, my brother, Joey, at the age of 3, was suffering from incredibly poor eyesight. My mom took him to get checked out, and the doctor mentioned that Joey met many of the characteristics of Marfan Syndrome. When he detailed what some of those characterics were, she called my dad immediately.  Shortly, after a number of appointments with doctors and specialists, both my father, at the age of 30, and my brother were diagnosed with Marfan Syndrome.   Soon after, my little sister was born, and she too was diagnosed with Marfan Syndrome.

A lot came together for my Dad, upon learning of the diagnosis and conducting some research. He was always a tall, lanky kid growing up, with poor eyesight, long fingers and toes, and an avid sportsplayer who found himself in the emergency room more often than not with broken bones.  I am grateful that we learned of his diagnosis when we did. At 37 years old, my Dad underwent open heart surgery to replace his aortic valve with a mechanical valve. 

His surgery remains a vivid memory to me.  In many medical books from the '80s and early '90s, they all had a brief paragraph about Marfan Syndrome, and stated that most patients diagnosed with the disorder, did not live beyond 50 years old.  At the age of 14, I was faced with potentially losing my Dad, and it scared me.  It still scares me. But for now, he is well. He may be faced with some surgeries in the future, but he sees a top specialist in the area for Marfan Syndrome and this helps lessen the nerves some.

As mentioned above, Marfans is genetic. The genetic mutation skipped me, but my brother, Joey and my sister, Chrissy both were diagnosed with the disorder.  Both of my siblings meet the physical characteristics of a patient with Marfan Syndrome: tall, slim, long extremities and features. They have poor eyesight, and my sister's skeletal system has been affected, resulting in a number of surgeries that I can count on both hands.

Joey, Chrissy and I

I have always had a lot of guilt. We knew that you could live a long life with Marfan Syndrome, but those scary thoughts from the medical dictionaries above have always haunted me.  I felt bad that my siblings were affected, and I wasn't. I was allowed to participate in organized sports, without putting my health in jeopardy.  I would have given anything for my brother to play baseball. Baseball was his sport. He played in our neighborhood common area with friends, and this was one of his greatest joys. In the summertime, he played morning, noon, and night. He was an honorary Orioles team member:) 

My brother was exceptionally tall, 7 feet tall in fact. He HATED being that tall, and no matter where he was, he was always stopped and asked, "How tall are you? Do you play basketball?" It drove him crazy! About five years ago, when he and I were out at a bar and this kept happening, we came up with an idea that we would get a shirt made for him that said 6'10" (he never wanted to admit he was taller than that!) and No to address the questions above.

Unfortunately, Joey passed away in his sleep on May 21, 2008, at the age of 22.  Our lives changed that day, and a huge piece of our life is missing. Not only was Joey literally taller than anyone else around, he was larger than life. He had this zest for life that most people only strive for. He was a silly and corny guy, but you were sure to be laughing when you were around him, even if you were the butt of his joke, ahem:)  His motto, taken from Wedding Crashers no less, was "Just Livin' the Dream." Recently, I got a tattoo in his memory with his motto. I decided to recognize our Italian heritage, and the quote translates to "Live Your Dreams."  When life starts to get too crazy or emotional, I have looked to the words on my foot, to help ground me.

So, with all of the lifestyle changes I have made over the last 6 months, the thought of running in Joey's memory and to support additional research for Marfan Syndrome for my Dad and sister seemed perfect. I will also be running in memory of my friend's little girl, Callie Marie. Callie was born with neonatal Marfan Syndrome in January 2012 and passed away 35 hours after her birth.

If you are interested in supporting the Cut the Crap team at the Marfan Mad Dash 5K, please feel free to donate at  https://runsignup.com/Race/DonationTeams/Team/82/ . All donations will go to the National Marfan Foundation.

Your donations will help the National Marfan Foundation provide life-saving diagnostic and medical management information to individuals, families, medical professionals and the general public, as well as provide funding to promote research and advocacy efforts.

All other virtual support is greatly appreciated, and Melissa, Amanda, and I appreciate the cheers to the finish line! To learn more about the National Marfan Foundation, please visit http://www.marfan.org/marfan/.

Joey and I in 2007

Weigh-In (All)

Hellllllo, anyone weighing in this week?? :)

Tiffany

If you look at my picture from last week then I'm down 2 pounds and if you go according to my 'edit' of my Sunday weigh-in then I'm up .6 pounds. Basically, nothing to report here. I'm going to try to kick it up a notch this week because I'd REALLY like to be in the 220's by next weekend. Monday is my birthday and Thursday is my anniversary so it's going to be a tempting week. But, I'm going to try. Motivate me! :)

Nikki:

I'm back!  I took a couple weeks off from weighing in.  Partly from frustration of the scale not budging for the past 2 months or so and also I've been super busy.  So instead of focusing on cutting the crap out of my diet (and I did quite the opposite on my little break) I have been focusing on cutting the crap from my house in order to sell it and downsize our belongings in preparation for our move to Alaska in August.  Also, family was in town visiting and we were out of town for a wedding so I indulged in some goodies. 

So I kind of have an excuse for eating badly lately.  Ok, not really, I just needed a break and apparently that helped.  Despite making poor food choices, the scale shows the lowest number I've seen in about 4 years.  I think I was around 185 for my wedding, although I didn't have this wonderful post-baby belly flab that won't go away.  I am thrilled to see the scale change in the right direction but I just don't get it.  When I try to lose weight, nothing happens, when I don't try, I actually lose.  I am hopping back on the wagon and will make better food choices this week.  So it'll be interesting to see what happens at next weeks weigh-in.

Teri:

I am up 1.4 this week. Honestly, I am not surprised at all. I was on vacation for most of last week, and while I tracked my food and stayed in control, I did indulge in champagne and other drinks each day. Something that I rarely do, but hey, I was at the beach:)  I did workout at the gym while at the resort, and we walked into town via the beach, which was about 1.5 miles each way.  I drank tons of water when I returned to get my bloat under control, but not enough to get down to 169 last week. Oh well, it was back on the wagon as soon as I got home.

I have been watching what I am eating, went for a great walk on Thursday evening, and plan to hit the gym and/or run a few days this week. We are dealing with some sickness around these parts with the little one, so I haven't been able to get out and hit the gym as I had planned.

I am hoping to see less than 169 on Friday, and be back on track. I am also hoping that I can amp up my running to get ready for our CTC 5K in a few weeks! Praying that I can run the entire race, but if not, completing it under 40 minutes is my goal!!

Amanda:

Up a pound this week - blah. I do my best tracking/sticking to a routine while at work. I pack and plan my meals, I don't have access to a stocked refridgerator and I drink water, water, water all day long. Last week I only worked three days, which means that was only 3 days that I was on my game. However, I did walk/run my first 5K of the season (42:44) and I made it back to ZUMBA! I didn't realize how much I missed both of those things until I did them again. Finally out of my miscarriage slump and motivated by our CTC get together coming up, I am back in the game, sisters!

This week I plan to track Monday - Friday. No cheats. I also am picking up an extra 2.5 walking with my sister in-law on Tuesdays. I hope to get off my butt every day this week, even if it is just a 1 mile, 12 minute jog around the block.



Melissa


Down another pound this week for a total of 54 lbs.  I am going to exercise every day this week except possibly Friday!  I am signed up for my barre class for Sunday, Monday, Wed and Thurs since it's supposed to rain all week and I loathe the treadmill!!  I am also thinking about joining a free weekly 5k run in the town over.  I just have just horrible memories of always being the last one done with the long run from high school that I do not want to relive that.  I might give it a go next week since I know someone also doing it!  This journey is all about new challenges and getting out of our comfort zone, right???


So I'd love to hit down 60 by our GTG, but I am trying to be realistic and not set myself up to be disappointed so I'd like to hit 55 by then.  Any more than that, great!  I also just started a Skinny Jean Challenge through my Barre Class.  It basically is 60 days long, I commit to at least 2 classes a week, take 10,000 steps a day, no artificial sweeteners, 64 oz of water a day, track all my calories (although according to the instructor I should be eating about 1600 calories a day, yeah, um no thanks!), and I get weighed and measured at the beginning, middle, and end.  The focus is losing more inches than weight, so we'll see what happens!!


I am so looking forward to running with Teri and Amanda and I  hope I can keep them motivated to run the entire race!  We're gonna Push it, push it good!!


Erin


I still have no functioning camera, but I was up to 211.4 this week. Not surprising since the holiday and all of the family cook-outs, I was not very strict in the food and drink area. I started the C25K program yesterday morning, and I actually enjoyed it! I think part of it was the fact that I had more than a half hour all by myself for a change. I am in search of a 5K to run in Sept or Oct so that it gives me the kick in the butt to keep on training and running. I also enlisted my husband's help and told him to not hold back and to help keep me on track, no matter what he has to say or do (well within reason). I am also starting a clean eating diet as of today. Wish me luck!

Cheryl:

Thursday night I hit a low. I was talking to the other June 08 girls on your board and wondering how they keep their motivation. Melissa and Amanda hit home with me somehow! I am journaling every piece of food that comes into my mouth and really focusing on more exercise! Voila in 2 days I have lost 3 pounds! Its amazing diet and exercise really works!

Lauren:

Down .6 this week.  Slow, slow, slow.  On the plus side it isn't a gain, which is what I was expecting after this hectic week including throwing a surprise baptism party at our house when I found out that my husband had scheduled our son's baptism without sharing the news with anyone, including me.  I don't want any of the cupcakes to stick so I need to really amp up this week.