Weigh-in Wednesday (Diane)

Well, hello there sir. I'm cool with you, I like you. But I'm going to have to ask you to leave shortly and send in the next guy. I've enjoyed our day together!



Yes, that would be about five pounds down in the first week.  WHOO!  I know its not a rate of loss that is sustainable, but I love that in a week I'm halfway to a goal I gave myself 2 months for!  5.4 pounds in 7 weeks? Piece o' cake!  (Well, actually, there will be no cake).

I've been eating about 50% clean. I'm still struggling with some of the principles, like no sweetener in my coffee and eating every three hours. I get swamped at work, and eating every three hours would literally be impossible, unless I stuff food in my face while I'm meeting with a bunch of professionals (read: not going to happen). My meals are probably bigger than they should be, while my in-between-meals are too small. But, lots of fruits, veggies and lean meats. Its been good!

The cigs?  Yeah, not so well. I'm working on it. Its just much harder than I thought I'd be. But there's progress. I'm still exercising, so at least there's that.

Here's to the next week! I just want to thank everyone for the messages of support (you know who you are) and love!  It means a lot to know I'm not alone on this journey.

Baby Steps (Diane)

Nope, sorry, no weight today.  I'm only going to report once a week.

Yesterday (Saturday) was my subdivision garage sale day. I LOVE garage sales, yard sales, flea markets, thrift stores, anything where I can shop and pick up new to me things for cheap!  Its all in the thrill of the hunt, and even if I don't find anything I want I usually have conversations and meet new people and its fun.

I ventured over to the part of our subdivision that has the bigger houses and found a house with a ton of books. I LOVE books. I love to read, even though my time is limited, and buying a huge box of books (which I did, for $15) can keep me entertained for several months. One of the books that caught my eye, that the previous owner told me was really good, was "The Eat-Clean Diet". I bought it. Last night I picked it up to thumb through a little and the very first line I read, on the first page I turned to, was "Your current physique pretty much reflects what you are putting into it. The body doesn't lie. It tells the truth. If you are neglecting both nutrition and exercise you'll look, well, soft and squishy...".

Oh, what truth. That really rang true to me and its so, so right. I've been neglecting nutrition and exercise and I'm definitely soft and squishy. Not to mention I don't feel good about myself, I don't even want to get into pictures with my adorable little toddler because I'm so self-conscious about how I look. Its all because of what I've been putting in my body.

So far, I like what I'm reading about eating clean. But the diet is the hardest part. If eating well were easy, everyone would be in great shape. So, I'm going to try to start slowly. I think I'm going to try to start a couple of ways:

1. I'm going to try to start by eating 75% clean. This is big because I so rarely eat clean now days. This means no more soda. No more sweetener in my coffee or tea, I'm going to drink it plain or with only a little skim milk. Fruits and vegetables. Less bread.

2. I'm going to eat smaller dinners. Dinners are usually my big meals. I'm going to try and arrange to have three small meals and two good size snacks (or five small meals, whatever it is). This will not be easy, my mornings are typically super hectic.  My afternoons vary. And my dinners are big. Not only do I usually feel overstuffed and like a failure, but I usually get heartburn as a result. So, we'll give that  a whirl.

3. No more cigarettes. At all.  I'm done. I've gotten to the point where I only smoke at work anyway, so if I'm only having five-ish cigarettes a day, five days a week, quitting shouldn't be a problem. I mean, it won't be easy, in fact this will probably be the hardest part, but I'll have an easier time quitting than any other time I've quit smoking, because its not full-time. So, there's that. No more cigs. *Deep breath* I can do this. I don't need cigarettes.

And finally, at the advice of my friends who have been at this a much longer time than myself, I'm starting out with a small goal. I'm giving myself two months to lose those first ten pounds. I know that's a shorter time frame than most recommend, but since I'm starting so heavy, and with such a poor diet, I really think the initial changes and initial loss will be quicker than usual. I'll give myself more time to lose the additional ten pound "chunks" as I go, but for the first ten, its two months. If I meet the goal early, I'll set up a new goal. If I don't meet it in time, .... no.  I'll meet it in time. That's the point of goals, right?  So, that's two months starting today.  That's a weight of 188 by November 22. Boom!

Wish me luck!  Watch on Wednesday evening for a weigh-in!

Joining the club!! (Diane)

Why Hello!

My name is Diane, and I was allowed into this elite little group by the lovely ladies involved and I couldn't be more grateful. I've got a big goal in mind, with very little success.  Its time to cut the crap!

A little bit about me and my background...

As a child, I was always bigger than my peers. The first issue involved there is that I am tall, and I've always been tall. As a child, I was so tall that I was often thought to be older than my brother (who was actually 2 years older than me!). I towered above the other kids in my class and, let me tell you, that's no picnic. Sticking out makes you a target.

I was also bigger as in heavier, as well.  Part of it was my height, but the bigger part of it was my build.  The thing is, when you're a child you simply don't grasp the concept of different body types, different sizes, and never having the ability to look like a peer that is half your size. I was so miserable back then. I wanted to look like my tiny, adorable friends instead of the big, awkward child I was. Obviously, it never happened.

Now, all of this is not to say that I was ever "fat." I was never overweight, I was always in a healthy range; I mean, I wasn't athletic I was actually quite the couch potato. When I got to high school, not only had most of my peers caught up to my height, I discovered the dance team. I loved it!  Finally, something I was actually good at!!  Dance team in high school requires lots of exercise and with minimal effort, I maintained a pretty trim figure. On top of that, I ate fairly healthfully. I was at the top of my game back then, along with most other people you have ever and will ever meet.

Anyway.

I went to college and discovered a world of getting fast food late at night, alcohol, half-price appetizers at Applebees, more alcohol, and cigarettes. Despite all this, my first year at college I worked out almost every day and stayed in relatively good shape. I can't imagine how great of shape I would have been in had I not been splurging on my diet all the time. However, there came a year when I stopped working out, then attempted to stop smoking and was temporarily successful.  Here came the pounds. Then, about six months before I met my now husband, I took a trip to Europe to study abroad. There, I was introduced to the European way....quality eating and walking everywhere. That trip was the kick-off to a twenty pound weight loss that had me almost to my high school weight, and then I met my man.

We ate together. We drank together. We smoked together. He quit smoking and I've had the darnedest time quitting, off and on for years. I put on weight. He told me I was the hottest thing he'd ever seen. The weight didn't matter.  I put the same 20 pounds back on.  Then I lost it again before our wedding and let me tell you, I looked fantastic at that wedding. Oh man. I still look at those pictures and wonder where the heck she went.  The weight came back on post-wedding. Then, 3 and a half years after we got married, I got pregnant.

When I got pregnant, I took the advantage of eating whatever I wanted without exercising. That was a good excuse, right?  Plus, I immediately quit smoking. So again, what was I supposed to do?  I ate enough for four people while I was pregnant. The day I found out I was pregnant, I weighed in at 176. The day I gave birth at 41 weeks, I weighed in at 245.

Post-partum, I lost the standard 35 pounds.  That left me at 35 pounds over where I started. I attempted a weight loss plan and was mildly successful - down to 185. Then I started slowly letting it creep back on, and here I am.

Hello, Newman. (Seinfeld reference, look it up if necessary).

I know there's a glare, but I assure you there's a 1 in the front of that number (198.2).

I know what got me here. Pregnancy, sure. Also my love of alcohol (not while pregnant!). My love of pizza. My love of burgers and fries. My love of takeout. My husband's love of takeout that sabotages pretty much any diet I start.  My love of junk food that keeps me from standing up to my husband during said times. My love of cigarettes that keeps me a couch potato. My love of being a couch potato and my love of sleeping in that interferes with any workout attempts. Its all so, so bad.

I'm not looking for sympathy, I'm looking for the thing that will finally make something *stick* for me. I'm looking for the inspiration. I'm looking for the motivation. I need that. Because I refuse to let my daughter see me like this as she grows up. I refuse to let her become the person I've become.

The other thing I refuse? I refuse to turn 30 looking like this. Right here, right now, I'm calling it - I will not let this be how it is on my 30th birthday.  I turn 30 in four months.

My goal loss is 50 pounds, which no, I don't expect to reach that by my birthday. But I certainly expect to be well on my way.  To top it off, I've signed up for a half-marathon (say WHAT?!?) with some friends in April. Even if I have to walk the thing, that's fine. But I'm going to attempt to run. And I've got to train for it!

So there you have it.  There are my goals.  Here goes Week 1, Day 1. I'll be checking in soon!

Goodbye 70! (Melissa)

So I started a new Whole 30 challenge for the month of April on Monday.  So far I am staying strong.  The second time is easier because I know what to expect, can anticipate tempting situations, and have continued to eat Paleo about 90% of the time since the end of January.  However, once I allowed myself to start snacking again, the scale stopped moving!

So I needed a new plan.  My husband and I signed up for the Run to Remember in Boston on May 26th.  In an effort to get in as best shape as possible I decided it was time to get focused and a Whole 30 Challenge was the best way to do that!

So the first week is in the books and I was down 2 lbs this week bringing me to this beautiful weight loss number:

I am super excited because that means I am just 30 away from my goal weight!!  And I am only one pound away from being just overweight (according to my BMI). 

I've been running like crazy (did 7 miles today), going to boxing, Zumba, and eating very healthy so I hope I am as successful this month as I was in January!!!   But I am trying to focus on my eating and exercising instead of just the number on the scale.  Wish me luck!

5k Victory!! (Melissa)

On Sunday I ran the Ras 5k.  I was extremely nervous about this race because I had not run outside since December and I really really really wanted to beat my time from last year.  I also knew that it was a hilly course (well not really hills but lots of slight inclines and a big one at the end).  That totally added to my anxiety over the race. As if I wasn't nervous enough already, I also had to deal with the lingering effects from the lovely stomach bug I had on Thursday and Friday! Did I forget to mention we got another 15 inches on snow dumped on us on Friday???

So the day of the race I am worried about my stomach, road conditions, the weather (it was 35 degrees out, but at least overcast and not snowing!), and how my body was going to handle everything.  Even though I was very nervous, I was also confident!  I lined up with the 10 minute milers (last year I was with the 12 min) and actually felt like a runner.  Maybe it was because I was wearing real running clothes or that I was 35lbs lighter this year??  I just felt good about myself and knew I would do better than last year.

The race starts and I felt good.  I actually kept up with two of our friends for the first half mile, which was a slight incline the entire time!  Then I slowed up a bit and just tried to fall into a groove.  I was annoyed with the amount of people around me, although they did provide lots of interesting scenery!  There were too many ups and downs during the race that I couldn't get my breathing into a good groove, I couldn't really hear my music over the loud chatter of people around me, and the road was a bit slippery.

I don't know about you, but when I run I try to pick someone out ahead of me and make it a goal to beat them.  Then once I get in front of that person I find someone else to go ahead, and so on.  Shortly into the race I saw this girl, who was about my size, wearing a green tutu and hat.  I wanted to beat her and she spent most of the race ahead of me. So as the race went on I kept my eye on her!

As we round the corner for the last 3/4 of a mile I see the dreaded hill.  Now, this is really a hill and I knew it was coming.  So I'm chugging along and determined to run the whole damn thing... I get to the top and OH NO, my body starts dry heaving... I was like oh no you don't! So I actually stopped and walked for about 15 seconds and then got right back to running.  Then while in the home stretch, I see her!!!  I head nodded to Adam and sped up, I got in front of her and just pushed myself as fast as I could.  When I crossed the line I checked my watch 33:49.... holy crap!!!

I was very surprised by my time!  I knew the first mile was 11 minutes, and the second mile 10:40, and then I just tried to chug along as fast as I could.  Last year I did the race in 38:30 (right around there), so my goal this time was 35 minutes.  I was so excited to be under 34 minutes!!  It is my fastest 5k ever and it wasn't the easiest course.

Now I look forward to signing up for some more 5Ks and moving forward with training for my half marathon.  My husband is going to run it with me so that will keep me motivated (eeek, only 11 weeks to go!!).  Here are pics from last year and this year!  35 lbs lighter!  I hope to be 35 lbs lighter by next year and be at my goal weight!!

Mind games (Melissa)

So I totally understand when people say after losing weight that they still see a fat girl in the mirror.  My mind is right there.  I still feel like I am huge.  I feel like my stomach and rolls are bulging out.  I feel like my thighs are huge.  When I look in the mirror, I see my imperfections and still see a fat girl.


This is what I look like now:                  This is what I think I still look like:

           

So I am going to keep going and fighting and hope that my brain starts to click.  I want to see the new me, not the old me!

Whole30 - Halfway done!! (Melissa)

So I'm about halfway through my Whole30 journey for the month of January.  How have I been doing??  Well, the first week was easy.  I planned ahead and cooked like crazy.  I stocked my kitchen with some new staples (almond butter, dried fruit, Larabars, and tons of fruits and veggies).  When telling people about my new journey they say "OMG, what can you actually eat?"  Then I rattle off the tons of things I can eat and they are shocked to realize how much I can eat!

I won't lie, it's been a lot of work.  The food is more expensive, but my husband and I have not eaten out once since New Year's Eve, so we are saving that money.  I've made trips to Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.

Here are some of my favorite items:

• Trader Joe's Creamy Almond Butter with Sea Salt
• Trader Joe's dried apricots
• Trader Joe's freeze dried fruit (bananas, raspberries, and pineapple)
• Tessemae's oil free Italian dressing (0 cals and super tasty!)
• Dry roasted almonds
• Mixed nuts without peanuts
• Larabars - pecan pie and cashew cookie are my favs

Besides snacks what have I been eating.  Well, for lunches I have been eating salads.  Generally I put mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, red peppers, baby bella mushrooms, black olives, red onion, cucumbers, a hard boiled egg diced up, and avocados.  Then I either make my own dressing (1 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp dijon mustard, black pepper and basil) or use Tessemae''s Italian dressing.   I also bought an Annie's sugar free Italian dressing but I haven't used it yet.  Every day people comment on how good my salads look, and they taste just as good!  Then I top it off with Polar Raspberry Lime Seltzer and a mandarin orange.  Other lunches I have had are turkey wraps with lettuce, tomato, avocado, and mustard (I use iceberg lettuce as the wrap).  I also might saute some chicken breast with peppers and onions and toss that on a salad to make a "taco" salad.

Dinners have been where all the cooking is going on!  So far I have made stuffed peppers (stuffed with ground turkey, spinach, onions, and tomato paste), whole roaster chicken with carrots, kickin collard green soup, beef stew, oven broiled salmon with asparagus, chicken with zucchini and mushrooms, Trader Joe's chili lime chicken burgers with homemade guac, and my favorite so far was homemade meatballs with homemade tomato sauce!  I ate leftovers for several days!!

I've been living on Pinterest and found so many Paleo recipes.  I have honestly bee loving this journey. I love that I am eating healthy, clean, and pure foods.  I even tried making my own mayo and oy, that was a disaster!!!  I actually plan on continuing with my Paleo/Whole30 diet for as long as I can.  However, once the 30 days are over I will allow myself a treat every now and again.  But for the most part I will stay on track.

Being super strict with my eating has given me the power again.  I am in control of what I eat and actually feed off the self-control I have.  There is no cheating.  No sneaking a bite of something here and there because honestly, I'd only be cheating myself.  Oh yeah, did I mention that I have lost 9 lbs in the first two weeks???  But, I have also been exercising.  I do Zumba twice a week, barre classes twice a week, and then I actually went for a 3 mile run on Sunday!  And, last night I tried a boxing class at a local Title Boxing Club.  That was a crazy workout and I am hoping to convince my husband to let us join!!

I highly suggest the Whole30 challenge to anyone who is unhappy with what they are eating.  The all or nothing mentality has really helped motivate me again.  I want to get to my goal weight by Labor Day.  Right now I am still working towards a BMI that will put me at overweight.  I'm so close and hope to get there by March 1!  So check back to see how the rest of the month goes!!

New Year, new beginning... (Melissa)

So it's just about 2013.  I have a lot to be proud of, but I am have been very frustrated for awhile.  I am proud that I have lost a lot of weight and have maintained for the past almost 6 months.  In the past, I always gained the weight back.  However, I am frustrated that I haven't been as motivated or had the self-control I used to have.  So I need a new plan.

After Thanksgiving I signed up for a 60 Day challenge with my Barre studio, which I knew was going to get me going again.  But almost a month in, and I actually weigh a couple pounds more than when I started, so being part of that challenge hasn't really motivated me.

Then, I was thinking about rejoining Weight Watchers because maybe I need that accountability of weighing-in in front of someone.  Maybe I need to try something different and track points instead of just calories... But then I thought about the $43 a month I would have to spend.

So, just the other day someone on my June message board mentioned The Whole30.  Now, I am not one for fad diets, but I need something at this point.  I need to regain the self control I once had.  I need to control what I eat and not let it control me.  I want to stop giving into temptation.  I want to lose the last 45lbs.  I want this.  So after reading up on the Whole30 and Paleo diets, I decided I am going to give it a go for 30 days.  I know I can last a month.

I told my wonderful husband of my plan and he gave me his not impressed face.  I could tell instantly he thinks I can't do it.  Hello, motivation to prove him wrong!  So today I indulged a bit and had a donut with my coffee and will have Chinese food for dinner.  Tomorrow is a new day, new year, and new beginning to finishing their weight loss.

So tonight when the ball drops I will give my husband a kiss and also kiss goodbye to grains, legumes, dairy, sugar, and alcohol for 30 days!!!  Wish me luck because I am gonna need it!!

A year later in pictures (Melissa)

So just when I was feeling frustrated with my lack of losing more weight, here comes Halloween and all it's candy!  Well I was excited for Halloween this year, as I always am, because I love to dress up.  Well my costume from last year had to be taken in, ALOT!  I was psyched and was even happier when I compared last year and this year.  I have the before picture posted in my classroom and I remember feeling DISGUSTED with myself when I looked at it.  Yet, it still took me another month last year to get my butt in gear.

A week later it was school picture day!  Oh joy!  I hated last years pic and thought I looked so gross.  The actual class picture is worse, but below you can see a comparison in just the face.  The lady taking my picture said I could use last year's pic if I didn't want a new one taken... HELLZ NO I quickly said!!

So overall, I am very pleased with where I am a year later.  Could I have lost even more weight?  Yes, of course, but I am 66 lbs less than I was a year ago.  I have gone from a tight size 20 to a 12/14 (depending on the brand) and large/medium shirts!

I'm not done with this journey and to make sure I continue to lose weight I signed up for another 60-day challenge with my Barre studio.  I just bought a Fitbit and plan to walk at least 10,000 steps a day from now until February!  I want to start the new year off right and hope that motivation will keep me going until I reach my goal weight of 145, for a total weight loss of 100lbs!!

Still here, chugging away... (Melissa)

Look at that beautiful number!  Out of the 180's!!  So quickly I've been running, but not as much.  My toe nails are black and running has become painful because of it.  I'm rethinking my half marathon plan.  Running is just not as enjoyable and I honestly haven't been training as much as I should so its making me doubt my ability to actually run 13.1 miles on November 4th.

But, even though I have not been running as much I have been exercising like crazy.  My new love is Zumba!  I go twice a week.  I love dancing and making a fool of myself.  Now I see why Amanda loves it too!!  I also have been going to my barre class once a week.  So even though I haven't been running I have still been moving and tracking my food.  I want to hit 174 by my birthday on 11/26.  I know I can do this, just need to stay motivated!!

Hello??? (Melissa)

Anyone there????  Boy it's been quiet around here!  Life has been crazy, it's back to work, my usual beginning of fall sinus infection, spending time with friends, and not being as focused!  No excuses because I just haven't been 100% on track.  For the past month I've pretty much maintained.  Which honestly, stinks!  I took a two week break from running due to my sinus infection and school being crazy.  Then I ran last week and my knees killed me the next couple days... big boo to that!

Well there is less than a month until my half marathon, so I need to be 100% dedicated to my running in these last few weeks.  Tomorrow I have to run 7 miles (praying I have the strength to do so), and then run 5 mi two times during the week!  With only four weeks left I need to do 7, 8, 9, and 10 mile runs!!  I hope my knees don't fail me because I will be beyond disappointed if they do.

This past week I was back on track!!  I stayed focused all day.  Lately my problem has been after school until bedtime.  I eat really well all day until dinner, when its been hot dogs, grilled cheese sandwiches, etc.  I did have fun with some friends on Wednesday, but stayed really focused Thursday and Friday!

I weighed in at 185, so I am back down 60 lbs... and here is the proof:

So here is my plan for the week:

Sunday - Run 7 miles

Monday - Zumba

Tuesday - Run 3 - 5 miles (depending on how sore I am)

Wednesday - Barre class

Thursday - Run 3-5 miles

Friday - rest

Saturday -  run 8 miles

It's going to be a busy week, but I have to do this.  The half marathon is going to be here before I know it and I need to do this. I want to do this, so I have to!!  

Weigh in (All)

 Cheryl:

-7.4 lbs!!!! I love seeing this kind of progress! I know its the first week, big loss, but I will take it! I have had some really good workouts and have been using myfitnesspal to track my intake. I am aiming for somewhere between 1200-1400 calories a day, plus exercise!


Melissa: 

So I forgot to weigh in this morning as I thought it was Sunday since my husband was off from work on Friday.  But I had peeked at the scale and it was up earlier in the week.  So instead of taking all my hard work and just being upset with the scale I am going to focus on the positives I experienced this week.  I ran 6 miles on both Tuesday and Friday (shaved off 6 minutes on Friday!), went to my barre class 2x, and check out the beautiful number on the size pants I bought on Thursday:

Yes, I bought a size 12 pants!!!  I don't know how they fit as the other pants I bought were 14s, but heck, I am going to take it!!!  I also bought several shirts in L, and actually felt great when I went shopping!!  I went to NY&Co and I had not shopped there since high school and even then I feel like I barely fit into their clothes!  This was a great shopping experience.  I bought a total of 16 shirts and 6 pairs of pants!!  I bought many sleeveless shirts and feel good wearing them.  

So what's my plan for this week??  Well I am going to continue to focus my energy on running (this week my 3 runs are 6, 7, and 4 miles), going to my barre classes, and just eating as healthy as I can.  If the scale behaves, then great, if not, well then oh well because I know I am getting healthier and stronger, and I am not going to let a piece of metal define my success!

Teri:

I had a great loss this week, 2.1 pounds gone for a total of 32 lbs lost, woot! I was sort of surprised to see such a great loss (although I was stable at 162.3 last week) since I didn't really kick butt in workouts. I did a lot of heavy lifting and organizing for hours straight last weekend (we are finally organizing our garage and office, um 3 years later!) and I really worked it. I had decent workouts last Tuesday and Thursday, but have felt a bit sluggish, so hopefully I am not coming down with anything.

And the most exciting thing this week, going to Nordstrom's for a bra fitting, and getting a smaller band and cup size! I haven't had a 34 band size since early college maybe, so I was super pumped! The cup size, while smaller, is still not exactly where I would like it to be, but considering what size I was wearing last fall/winter, I am beyond stoked. Just wish they weren't so spendy!

As for eating, I did pretty well, staying around 1200 calories/day. We also tried a new recipe that was low in calorie, super tasty, and yielded a ton of leftovers so many days last week consisted of this meal:)

This week, I plan to consume the usual 1200 cals/day, and I am hoping that I can get in a few real workouts. I am still trying to shake this sluggish, blah feeling, and am hopeful that an early morning workout tomorrow will get my week started on the right foot!

Amanda:

I am/was totally disgusted with myself at weigh in. That is a 5 pound gain in two weeks.

So this week I am back to the basics, if it's not a fruit, veggie, or protein it isn't going in my mouth while at work, and after work there is a meal, no snacking! I'm also getting back into my workout routine. There is no excuse any more. I made them for two weeks and I got my result.

Snack Attack!! (Melissa)

So we've all experienced a case of the munchies, well what I do now is drastically different as compared to what I used to do!  Before, I basically devoured anything and everything in site al a Cookie Monster style.  I also would have the same thought as him:

Well now I stop and think about whether I am really hungry and what I want.  I examine calories as I look through the pantry.  I try and opt for fruits and/or veggies, but sometimes they don't cut it.  So what do I eat???  I get asked a lot from people who are curious about my success, so let me share some of my favorite snacks!

- Hard boiled eggs (yolks removed) with hot sauce (I cut the eggs in half, remove the yolks, and then put some hot sauce in the holes where the yolk was).. 34 calories for 2 eggs.

 - Trader Joe's Roasted Seaweed Snack - yup, sounds gross, right?  Well its a little crunchy, salty, and comes in a wasabi flavor for some spice!  And it's only 60 calories for the whole little package!

- Trader Joe's Sour Cream and Onion Corn Puffs - yummy, like popcorn, only 56 calories for 1 cup!

- Homemade salsa with homemade pita chips - chop up tomatoes, onions, peppers, cilantro, with garlic powder, salt, pepper, a tsp of olive oil.... then take a Joseph's Oat Bran, Flax, and Wheat pita and split it open, cut into wedges and put in the toaster oven.  They get nice and crunchy and voila, pita chips for only 60 calories! Then the salsa is about 40 calories!

- Frozen Grapes - Love em!  Usually my dessert!  They take awhile to thaw so they are great to eat slowly! about 100 calories for a cup of them.

There is also the usual go to items: string cheese, hummus and veggies, banana and peanut butter, a good ol cup of skim milk, greek yogurt, and so on..  I am always looking for new snacks, so please if anyone has any other ideas please please please share them!!!

A Quick Update (Tiffany)

So we're still living with my ILs, but we close on our house a week from today. A couple of weeks after that we'll be moving into our new home and things will be back to normal. I can.not.wait to go grocery shopping, meal plan, etc. again. I know that's something that a lot of people take for granted and don't look forward to but I miss it. I hate eating what is made for me... I want to CHOOSE what to eat. But alas, it's not my house.

I have been doing really well with making good choices for snacks and the meals that I'm out of the house for. Tomorrow, I start work and I packed my lunch so I won't be tempted to eat out. I am still drinking a pop a day (sometimes 2) which I will need to cut out... but I need the caffeine and I'm not ready to give it up yet.

I say all of this to say that I haven't given up and I'm not going to. I'm in a rough place but things are going to be looking up soon. I want to join Melissa in her 60 pound weight loss!! Hopefully by this time next year I will be a much smaller, much healthier me.

My friend took this picture of me over the weekend at her son's birthday party. GAG. I'm hanging out between 232-234 it seems. Even though this is 30 pounds lighter than my heaviest non-pregnant weight I still feel so gross. I FEEL healthier but I don't LOOK healthier. My belly fat is out of control. I used to have a waist- pre-twins. Not so much anymore. So I'm posting this here as some inspiration for me to get things in control. In this pic I'm wearing a 1X shirt (it's a little big and frumpy looking but that's my wardrobe for ya) and XXL gauchos. I wear a size 18-20 pant. I can't wait to be out of plus size for GOOD.

I am fat and infertile... (Cheryl)

I have been missing in action. Here I find myself starting over once again. We just completed our first IVF cycle. We transferred 1 beautiful excellent quality embryo and are still empty handed. We had our follow up appointment with our doctor and once again my weight was brought up. She repeated some statistics that a BMI over 35 drastically reduces success rates of IVF. So she would like me to get to a weight of 225, BMI of 35 or if I was really against the weight loss thing, we can proceed with my current weight. Frank and I decided to take some time off from treatments and do some serious weight loss and hopefully get there in 2 months.