Here we Go, Here we Go, Here we Go AGAIN

New week New start. Last week I did horrible. For some reason I was starving all the time. I would finish dinner and still be hungry. As I was reflecting about my eating here are the things I came up with that I did wrong last week.
1. Not enough water, I didn't drink nearly as much as I needed too. And often times when you think your body is saying your hungry its actually saying its thirsty
2. I wasn't consistent with my Snacks. I have gotten pretty lazy about making sure I had my healthy snack between meals, so by dinner I was starving and would tend to over eat or really want/need those seconds.
3. Not enough exercise. For some glorious reason when I exercise I don't feel so hungry and especially not snacky. Call it an oxymoron.
4.Sleep. I need Sleep. I don't function very well with less than 8 hrs. I have not been making that quota as of late.
So Here we Go, Here we Go, Here we Go again, Oh here we go AGAIN. I am especially determined since I put on a pound last week. And my sweet little 4 yr old came up to me this morning and patted my tummy and said "Oh mommy your having another baby" UGH!!!

Happy Valentines Day

I was so excited to write this post. I was going to write all about how I did such a great job on Valentines day. That I didn't eat any desserts. That I ate the right portions and didn't take seconds. Well I could have written that post until Dinner. I did tell my husband not to get me any chocolates this year (his favorite gift to me since he eats about 1/2 of them) so he got me a book instead (I love that man).
 So as for dinner we went out with some friends. It was a blast. I was doing ok until the bloomin onion came out. Thats right I only made it to the appetizer. It was so good. Then I wasn't going to get dessert but my friend kept saying "Tts Valentines day, you have to get dessert on Valentines day". Well I liked her reasoning. So I had my husband pick the dessert. I didn't go crazy on dessert but I sure enjoyed it. And I was a good girl and didn't get any treats at the movie theater.
 So happy Valentines Day to you all. I hope it was enjoyable.

Help for Shereen

Shereen had this posted on facebook so I thought I would post it for her on our blog. Please help her out and give her the support she needs. Leave comment of encouragement for her.
OK, I need some help!! I have started to get a little discouraged so I need some moral support so I can keep going! I only lost 1/2 lb last week (total loss is 1.5 lbs at this point) and followed the plan very closely so am afraid if I don't start seeing a bigger difference that I won't have the motivation to stick to it. What can I do??
-Shereen

Sorry for the Absence

Once again my Internet has been down and I haven't been able to post anything. How is everyone doing??? This last week I lost another 3lbs. I am so excited. That is a total of 9lbs in 4 weeks.
Did anyone realize we will have been at this for a month on Thursday? Exciting!!!!!
Tonight I went to a dinner for my son's cub scouts and I let loose a little. They had brownies so  as my one serving for dinner I threw a brownie on. I feel ok about this since I have been doing pretty good other wise. I am a bit worried though because this week I have been having a hard time getting the exercise I need(my husband has been working a weird shift so I can't get to gym when I usually do). So today I went and shoveled for 35 minutes. Does anyone have good ideas of how to get exercise when you can't get to the gym or it is too cold to go running or walking?
Good luck everyone. Please keep commenting and letting us know how you are doing.

Back in the Saddle

 Last week was a tough week. After Wednesdays gorging of yumminess I had a  hard time staying on track. I ate 3 cookies Friday night and a brownie.  I don't even remember what I ate Saturday. I even ended up not keeping track of points most of the week so I received barely any points toward the new pair of jeans I want.
 I even forgot to weigh myself Saturday so I had to weigh in on Sunday(which I have decided I am sticking to this day). Some how I didn't gain any weight. I just stuck right where I was. WHew...
 So I am ready for the new week. This next week won't be as crazy for me so it will be easier to stay on track. It would be nice to see that scale continue to go down.
 I have already started off pretty well. I got a 45 min cycling class in this morning and turned down a piece of chocolate cake.
 How is everyone else doing? Is anyone still doing it???

If your going to go, Go Big

So here is the set up. Yesterday I had be at the church at 5pm to get set up for a Young Womens program at 7pm. So I had made a crockpot meal for my family and didn't have time to grab a bite before I headed out. I was in charge of helping get the dessert ready (I know the worse thing to have someone do when they are watching what they are eating). It was a delicious cheese cake with ganache topping and chocolate candy rocks. Any way so we spent about 1 1/2 hours smelling this tasty stuff. So by the time the program was done it was 8:15 and I was staving. So of course I finally gave in and had dessert. Now it would have been bad enough just having the one slice but I had two, and I had two blonde brownies(I'm still drooling over those) and tasty cookie. Then when I finally got home at 9pm I had a bowl of soup. So I lost point big time yesterday. This is the first time I have ever given up points to have dessert. I had even stuck a piece of gum in my mouth in hopes that I could control my craving. Oh well. I am sure I will do better next time.  I just need to make sure I get my snacks and meals and I will be fine.

Gum Gum

Gum Gum the magical Treat

The more you Chew the less you Eat

The less you Eat the better you Feel

So lets have Gum between every Meal

 So who is having a hard time without snacking between snacks?? You over there? How about you? Yeah well me too. My hardest time is when cooking dinner. A slice of carrot in the salad, a slice of carrot in my mouth. A sprinkle of cheese here(cheese goes on almost everything in our house), a sprinkle of cheese in my mouth. A chunk of meat in the casserole, a chunk of meat in my mouth. You get the picture. So what I find as the best solution is throwing a stick of gum in my mouth. It gets my jaw moving. How many times have you stuck food in your mouth just because you want something to chew, even if you are not hungry. Believe me I have done it countless times. It also often gets rid of your cravings. Extra just came out with a new line of gum 'Dessert Delights' (so tasty). I just got the strawberry shortcake and I am in LOVE. And it is sugar free, happy teeth.

 So next time you are having a hard time getting to that next snack or meal, throw in a stick of gum. your waist line will thank you for it. Happy chewing  

 And yes I did stand in line at the grocery store thinking up the poem. Very clever if I do say so myself. Thank you very much. 

This Weeks Challenge

Okay, so we are beginning a new week so here is our new challenge. This week I want you to be more conscientious of how much you put on your plate. Now I am not saying don't fill your plate with your first (and only) helping as high as you want. Just figure out about how big your servings are. So this week as you are filling out your weekly food chart put down about how much you ate of each food. For example-Dinner- 3 cups of pasta with 1 cup of sauce and 2 cups of salad and a nice thick slice of bread with 2 tbls of butter(seriouly I would eat that much, maybe more sauce and parmassen cheese). Now I am not asking you to measure it out, just guess (unless you want to measure it, I just hate measuring things. It makes me feel like I'm on a real diet, and I am not, I am having a "Life Style Change").
Sounds good????? I haven't decided how many points this is worth yet. Let me know what you think. We could either do an overall weekly points or a point per day you do it.

Weigh In-Week 2

Sorry I am so slow this week at getting things posted. My interent has been down alot this week. How was weighing for everyone? As we know poor Jenn didn't do so well. I had a trainer tell me once you can exercise all you want but if you eat bad you are not going to loose the weight. Exercising is just suppose to help you loose weight along with a healthy diet. I am so excited to see how Jenn does next week.
This week I did pretty good. I stuck to the diet pretty well. I did miss a couple snacks and I have to say that makes it harder to get through the day. I got a couple good workouts in. I ended up loosing another 3 pounds this week. I was pretty excited. I was expecting to have lost about 1.
I am excited to see how everyone did this week. Please let us know.

Challenges-Does anyone find these helpful????? Do you want me to continue to make weekly challenges?????
Heres to week 3... Bring it on.

You Can't Out Train a Poor Diet

Welp I have gained 4 pounds this week and let me tell you what! I am bummed!! A little bit anyway:) I spent the week very proud of myself because I have been working out HARD every single day!! So I figured I would sacrifice a few points for some missed snacks or some not so healthy dinners. This turned out to bite me in the hinee!!
I have been reading a lot about eating habits and foods in particular. Since it is soo much easier to say what needs to be done, rather than to DO what needs to be done I will enjoy this post!

Do Not cut all your carbs out of your diet! They are needed in moderation to ensure proper nutrition!

Protien,Protien,Protien!!! This helps build muscle which in turn helps burn fat which is yay!!! Don't think you have to cram meat and chicken. Try some Tofu! Peanut Butter,Salmon!! Google it! There are tons of different types out there!

Fiber!!! Yea I know it sounds poopy! But it really is a fantastic thing in the world of your diet!!Fiber helps keep you full!! Apples,Kiwi!! Great Snacks!!!!!

WATER WATER WATER--- This should really be called the nectar of the gods!!! Drink Drink!!! Did you know that some times when you feel hungry you are actually dehydrated!?? Drinking cold water 20 minutes before you eat can help you in your quest to eat less!!


So there are some tidbits of things I have read over the past week while working out and eating crappy!! This week I am making a serious change!! Not even any cheats!! No missed meals!!

Lets see if I can pull myself out of the ditch I have driven into!!!

Ups and Downs of week Two

I can't believe its already Wednesday and Jenn and I have not posted since Sunday. If we have any loyal viewers I am sorry we have been absent.
Monday I was feeling pretty good. I remember last Monday going to bed feeling sooooo hungry. That night I felt content. Maybe even a little haughty that it was so easy. Well Tuesday rolls around and I think I felt starving the whole day long. I realized it was getting really bad when I was driving to the gym at 9pm trying to talk myself out of driving to Burger King to get a giant hamburger, fries, and wash it down with a tasty milk shake. So when I got to the gym I grabbed a food magazine and looked at all the tasty food I wasn't going to be eating. The upside of Tuesday was I got all my points. 15 baby. I spent over an hour at the gym and felt awesome.
Today I had a melt down. And my poor husband got the brunt of it. He was kind enough to dish me up dinner as I was helping the kids get their salad. I informed him I needed more. He made some kind of comment like "whoa that's a lot." Well I blew up. "This one serving is less then you will have in two serving. I only get one serving and you can get as much as you want." You know it's bad when your little girl says "mommy you are being really mean."  I realized soon after that he put way more on my plate then I had realized and I ended up putting some back. We spent the rest of dinner apologizing to each other. I am so thankful to my loving, supportive husband. He loves me whether I am the weight I am now or the weight I was when we got married.
How is everyone else doing? Keep up the good work. Jenn and I both passed on some super yummy pies tonight at our youth group activity. I think Jenn knew I would take another picture of her. There was some left over pie so I have it hiding in my freezer waiting for Sunday. Yippee Free Day!

A new week

So is everyone excited to start the new week?

I have to say I am.

After gorging myself on cinnamon rolls today

I am ready for a new start tomorrow.

I have decided I like the way I feel so much better when I am on the "diet" then when I am on my day off. Today I feel sluggish and icky. I almost feel like those 3lbs I took off is sticking back to my belly. As I was eating dinner tonight I realized I was eating my very first vegetable of the day and that I hadn't had any fruit. Yuck. Plus I feel dehydrated. I guess I am thankful for today to remind me why I am doing this life style change. Not only to loose weight but to feel better. I am excited to go work out tomorrow. I need my water so bad.And give me a juicy crisp apple. Thank You

So how did everyone do on the challenge for this week? Don't forget to give yourself the extra 5 bonus points if you put any effort at all into this Life Style Change.
Okay for next weeks challenge... Like I said before it is going to go with eating at the dinner table. Now I know for some (Shereen) this is super hard. Some work crazy hours and is running from one thing to the next. So this is what I suppose. Everyday that you eat a meal at a table you get a point. Now it can be your table at home, a table at a restaurant, a table in the breakroom, anything works. As long as it's a table and not at the couch while watching t.v or the console of your car while you are heading somewhere. And it can be any meal. Now for those who this is super easy, try to make sure you get all 3 meals at the table for that one extra point a day. I often find myself eating breakfast at the counter while packing lunches or eating lunch at my computer desk when my dinner table is 3 feet away. So my goal is all 3 meals. Good luck.

WEEK 1. The morning mommy

Well this week went fairly well. I lost some weight, but most of all I feel really good. I have a ton of energy because I have lowered my sugar,carb and caffeine intake! YAY!

While the eating thing has been soooo hard the working out part has actually been bearable which is really different than it was before. I was putting so much pressure on myself to be a morning person. You know the person! Wake up, work out, shower, make breakfast and clean the entire house all before the rooster crows! I tried, I really did but I found myself saying things like "i hate the world", "kill me now" and "well I didn't work out this morning so it's too late so I will tomorrow" I know I am not the only one out there! I would much rather stay up late,do my thing and roll out of my bed at the last minute to take the kiddos to school.


THE GRIEVING PROCESS

I took a deep breath and let the thought of being the perfect morning mommy go and did the opposite and I have decided that *gasp* I am a night person!!! I actually already knew that but I was in denial. Since I have come to the acceptance part of this grieving process I have made a new schedule for myself and so far it seems to be working! I work out at night!! Sometime between 8 and 9 I either go to the gym or put in my P90X . It gets done well. I feel great. The kids are already in bed by then and I can just do my thing.

Since I have been able to let go of the "morning mommy" dream I feel like my house and family has been running so much smoother than before. I KNOW I have been doing better making it to the gym! Try and step out of the box. Maybe something a little abnormal works better for you!!

How Eating at Home Can Save Your Life

I found this article on my cousins blog. I found it very interesting and thought you all might like to read it.
I also added a link on the side bar "I make Family Dinner a priority". My cousin put 10 tips to make meals matter. Very helpful.
How Eating at Home Can Save Your Life
The slow insidious displacement of home cooked and communally shared family meals by the industrial food system has fattened our nation and weakened our family ties. In 1900, 2 percent of meals were eaten outside the home. In 2010, 50 percent were eaten away from home and one in five breakfasts is from McDonald's. Most family meals happen about three times a week, last less than 20 minutes and are spent watching television or texting while each family member eats a different microwaved "food." More meals are eaten in the minivan than the kitchen.
Research shows that children who have regular meals with their parents do better in every way, from better grades, to healthier relationships, to staying out of trouble. They are 42 percent less likely to drink, 50 percent less likely to smoke and 66 percent less like to smoke marijuana. Regular family dinners protect girls from bulimia, anorexia, and diet pills. Family dinners also reduce the incidence of childhood obesity. In a study on household routines and obesity in U.S. preschool-aged children, it was shown that kids as young as four have a lower risk of obesity if they eat regular family dinners, have enough sleep, and don't watch TV on weekdays.
We complain of not having enough time to cook, but Americans spend more time watching cooking on the Food Network than actually preparing their own meals. In his series, "Food Revolution," Jamie Oliver showed us how we have raised a generation of Americans who can't recognize a single vegetable or fruit, and don't know how to cook.
The family dinner has been hijacked by the food industry. The transformations of the American home and meal outlined above did not happen by accident. Broccoli, peaches, almonds, kidney beans and other whole foods don't need a food ingredient label or bar code, but for some reason these foods -- the foods we co-evolved with over millennia -- had to be "improved" by Food Science. As a result, the processed-food industry and industrial agriculture has changed our diet, decade by decade, not by accident but by intention.
That we need nutritionists and doctors to teach us how to eat is a sad reflection of the state of society. These are things our grandparents knew without thinking twice about them. What foods to eat, how to prepare them, and an understanding of why you should share them in family and community have been embedded in cultural traditions since the dawn of human society.
One hundred years ago all we ate was local, organic food; grass-fed, real, whole food. There were no fast-food restaurants, there was no junk food, there was no frozen food -- there was just what your mother or grandmother made. Most meals were eaten at home. In the modern age that tradition, that knowledge, is being lost.
The sustainability of our planet, our health, and our food supply are inextricably linked. The ecology of eating -- the importance of what you put on your fork -- has never been more critical to our survival as a nation or as a species. The earth will survive our self-destruction. But we may not.
Common sense and scientific research lead us to the conclusion that if we want healthy bodies we must put the right raw materials in them: real; whole, local; fresh; unadulterated; unprocessed; and chemical-, hormone- and antibiotic-free food. There is no role for foreign molecules such as trans fats and high-fructose corn syrup, or for industrially developed and processed food that interferes with our biology at every level.
That is why I believe the most important and the most powerful tool you have to change your health and the world is your fork. Imagine an experiment -- let's call it a celebration: We call upon the people of the world to join together and celebrate food for one week. For one week or even one day, we all eat breakfast and dinner at home with our families or friends. For one week we all eat only real, whole, fresh food. Imagine for a moment the power of the fork to change the world.
The extraordinary thing is that we have the ability to move large corporations and create social change by our collective choices. We can reclaim the family dinner, reviving and renewing it. Doing so will help us learn how to find and prepare real food quickly and simply, teach our children by example how to connect, build security, safety and social skills, meal after meal, day after day, year after year.
Here are some tips that will help you take back the family dinner in your home starting today.
Reclaim Your Kitchen
Throw away any foods with high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated fats or sugar or fat as the first or second ingredient on the label. Fill your shelves with real fresh, whole, local foods when possible. And join a community support agriculture network to get a cheaper supply of fresh vegetables weekly or frequent farmers markets.
Reinstate the Family Dinner
Read Laurie David's "The Family Dinner". She suggests the following guidelines: Make a set dinnertime, no phones or texting during dinner, everyone eats the same meal, no television, only filtered or tap water, invite friends and family, everyone clean up together.
Eat Together
No matter how modest the meal, create a special place to sit down together, and set the table with care and respect. Savor the ritual of the table. Mealtime is a time for empathy and generosity, a time to nourish and communicate.
Learn How to Cook and Shop
You can make this a family activity, and it does not need to take a ton of time. Keep meals quick and simple.
Plant a Garden
This is the most nutritious, tastiest, environmentally friendly food you will ever eat.
Conserve, Compost and Recycle
Bring your own shopping bags to the market, recycle your paper, cans, bottles and plastic and start a compost bucket (and find where in your community you can share you goodies).
Invest in Food
As Alice Waters says, food is precious. We should treat it that way. Americans currently spend less than10 percent of their income on food, while most European's spend about 20 percent of their income on food. We will be more nourished by good food than by more stuff. And we will save ourselves much money and costs over our lifetime.
To learn more tips for taking back the family dinner and using your fork to effect change in our world visit http://www.drhyman.com/.

Falling off the Wagon

So today I fell off the wagon.

I have been soooo good all week.

I went to two church activities this week where they served some super yummy things and I was good.

I resisted temptation.

I was even doing good all day.

Then tonight I made 2 Stromboli's (you know the pizza rolled up, super yummy).

Well I had one slice of the first one.

So yummy.

Then the second one came out of the oven and I just had to try that one too because they were different kinds.

Then I had to have one more piece of the kind I like best.
Also I was watching a movie with my kids so I wasn't savoring my food.
I couldn't believe it when the first piece was already gone.

And if that isn't bad enough I decided to have one more thin piece for my snack and it was after 8pm.

And of course it had to be the night before weigh in.

So I got a total of 8 points today.

I am glad that I had been doing pretty well for most of the day so it wasn't a total bust.

One thing I have discovered is since I was doing so good all week eating that much food tonight made me a bit sick. I felt so uncomfortable.

It makes me consider how much I will be indulging on my free day.

 Maybe I won't be taking 3rds. 

I will most likely be making a delicious chocolate cake.

But maybe I won't eat it all on my own.

 It's not about falling off the wagon. We all do it from time to time

Its about if you climb back on and try a bit harder the next time around. 

Weighing In

Okay everyone. Tomorrow is the big weigh in. Are you ready? Are you excited? I am a bit. But I am hoping not to be disappointed. I do feel much better then I did last week. I can feel my pants fitting better on me. It's going to be a good day.
Here are a few tips for weighing in:
1.Weigh in first thing in the morning
     a.Use the bathroom
     b.Don't eat or drink before
     c.Don't exercise before
2.Make sure you are wearing light clothing. And plan on wear close to the same thing every time you weigh in.
3.It is healthy to loose between 1-2 pounds a week. When you loose your weight slowly that is what makes it so you can keep it off. Because as you loose the weight your adjusting you eating habit. That is why diets where you drop weight really quick often bite you in the bum when you stop them. You don't really learn to eat regularly.(make sense?)
Now since this is our first week doing it those who stuck to it pretty well might loose more then that. That is okay just realize you might not loose a lot the next week.
I am so excited to hear how everyone is doing. Please post your results under comments. It would be nice to know how you did and who is all still in this. Plus we can all celebrate together.

Talking with your mouth full is good for you.

I remember as a teenager watching one of those "The more you know" commercials, on NBC. It was a about the importance of eating dinner at the table as a family. I read once that family's who eat dinner at the table on a regular basis have a lower risk of weight problems, whether it is was obesity or anorexia. I believe that is so true. Think about how much more you eat when you are watching t.v., zone out, and don't pay attention to your food intake. I have personally consumed an entire bag of Cheetos, family sized of course, completely oblivious, whilst watching a movie. Conversely, food ingestion is lighter when you are at the table with your family laughing and talking while eating. Food for thought, fat free and zero calories too.

FYI: Next weeks Challenge is...Eating at the Table! Details to follow.

Enjoy your food

Do you remember the last time you really tasted a juicy grapefruit? The other night as I was enjoying my last snack. I was working on savoring my grapefruit. Oh man was that grapefruit so tasty. I forgot how good grapefruits were. I have eaten a few in the last month but for some reason I didn't taste them. Have you ever noticed that? Finishing a meal and realizing you didn't really taste it. That is the whole point of Savoring your food, so that at the end of the meal you remember how good it tasted and feel satisfied. I have caught myself many times taking seconds just for another taste of the food I didn't quite taste. As I have been trying to savor my food I have realized I still remember how tasty that food was an hour later.
Another reason for savoring your food is so that you will recognize when you are full. Did you know it takes your brain 20 minutes to realize your full? If you take your time eating and really savoring your food by the time you are done with your first helping you should start to feel full and realize you really don't need that second helping.
So as you are enjoying your meals take your time, remember how much you enjoy the sensation of orange chicken, fettuccine alfredo, green beans, a juicy pink grapefruit. Savor them.

donut remorse????? a little bit:)

so you can see from the previous post that I had an issue tonight. Someone brought cookies and donuts tonight for the kids. Well I could not resist. Carbs and sweets are my "go to guy"!! I did lose 2 points! One for eating after 8 and 1 for eating the enemy donut, actually 2 donuts....and a cookie.....

The day as a whole went really well until the evening when I was confronted with my nemisis!!!

I did learn 2 things....1. I really need to have a bottle of water and gum with me at all times, I can usually curb my cravings with those two things. Tonight I had neither.

2. Even thought I did fall victim to the ruthless carb monster, I had a very good day in all my other areas!! Even though I did stumble a bit, I finished the day on a really good note! I am bummed that because if that donut I didn't get to record a double digit point day...sadness. But there is always tomorrow!!! Despite the missteps I have had the first few days of this change of lifestyle I DO feel myself more conscious of the life around me whether it be food, sleep, or exercise which is something I am very proud of!! And this is only 3 days in!!!!

She got her Doughnut

You may be wondering what this picture is of??????
This is Jenn!! She was offered a doughnut and she took it. This is Jenn running away from me, while eating her doughnut, as I was trying to get a picture for our blog. When she saw the doughnuts she looked at me and said "I'm loosing a point". Gotta love that girl.

Explanation fo Points and Game Plan

I am sorry for not better explaining all of this. I am going to go through and fill everything out for myself so you and see the example and I will explain things while doing so.
Game Plan
NAME Missy Muldowney
WHERE AM I NOW?
DATE 1-10-11              WEIGHT 175                  
WHERE DO I WANT TO BE?
DATE 6-1-11         WEIGHT 145                           
HOW AM I GOING TO GET THERE? Watching how much I am eating and what I am eating. Getting more sleep. Getting more exercise. Drinking more water.
WHO WILL I REPORT TO?
The Blog and Jenn.                        
*You and choose who you report to. It can either be anyone in our group. Jenn or me. The blog. A spouse. Which ever make you feel comfortable and that will be checking up on you to make sure you are doing it.
WHEN? (How often?)
Every day.                        
*Now I am only putting that because of the blog. I would encourage everyone to have at least once a week or every other week.
REWARD *The points and rewards are just to keep you motivated and on task. If you feel you don't need to do them then don't. They just help me look forward to something and make it so I will record what I ate that day which holds me more accountable for my food intake.
HOW MANY POINTS?
1,000           
*Okay I am starting high but I have done this before. Start small. For example: 100points=Ice cream guilt free. 200points=a manicure. WHAT WILL I EARN?
New pair of Jeans          
*You need to pick something that will keep you motivated to get the points. I want a new pair of jeans when I loose some weight
Points- Every day you will go through this list and add up your points. Write your points on the Monthly calendar.
*Here is how I added up my points from yesterday
Meals (per meal)
1 – 1 serving
0 – seconds of fruit or vegetable
-1 – seconds on anything else
*I earned (3 points) here yesterday. 1 for each meal because I didn't take secondsEating
1- Savor my food (eat slowly)
*I earned (1point) for savoring my foodSnacks (per snack)
1-1 serving of fruit or vegetable
0-1 serving of anything other
-1- seconds
*Here I earned 0. I forgot to have my first snack 0 points. I had my second snack 1 point, then I had my 3rd snack but I had seconds on it -1point. So that brings me to (0 points)
Water
1-Eight (8oz) or 4 Large glasses a day. (The more the better)
0-Less then eight
*I drank all my water (1 point)
*If you are having a hard time with this get a water bottle that you can carry around with you. We made a spot on the weekly chart that you can make tally marks as you drink water each day.
Other drinks
1-No sugar free foods or drinks and no caffeine drinks
*I earned (1 point) here. Now say I was did have a drink or sugar free something or other. That would have been 0 points.Extra Daily points
1-Keep a record of everything I eat or drink (weekly calendar)
*I filled it out Monday on my weekly calendar (1 point)1-Aerobic Exercise at least 30 minutes a day, at least 3 days a week
*I went walking (1 point)
1-6-9 hours sleep
*I did not get enought sleep. Thank you Rose and paper route. (0 points)1-Be totally honest. (Yes you get a point a day for being honest)
*I was honest (1 point)1-No eating past 8pm (drink at much water as you want)
*I had my snack after 8pm (0 points)Other Points
1-Weigh myself on weekly and only once a week
0-If you weigh yourself more then once a week (I know for some (Jenn) this will be hard
Complete (+ 2 pts.) or Survival (+1 point) fast on Fast Sunday
*Now I didn't do any of these because it wasn't the day for it. But the days I do do this I will earn points for them.
*So I earned a total of 9 points for yesterday. I hope that helps everyone out. Please let me know if you have anymore questions.
Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) – You are allowed 1 serving. You can put as much on your plate as you want as long as it is one helping.
*I found at first I filled my plate full then as time went by I put less and less on my plate.
Snacks (am, midday, pm) 1 serving (less then 1 cup or 1 med fruit) of a fruit or vegetable (or 1/2 cup dried fruit)

Man am I hungry

So I forgot how hard this first few days are. I was doing ok until dinner when I thought I got enough on my plate. Jeremiah made some oh so tasty Orange Chicken and stir fried vegi's with noodles. As I was savoring my food and getting to the last of it I realize ~No SECONDS~ Oh man I really wanted more. And I was still a hungry. But I bucked it up and called it good.
I know within a couple days my tummy with be use to not eating as much. Plus I know I don't need more. So here is to NO SECONDS and a thinner Waist Line ..... Soon.

Day 1 was a doozy but it can only get better...right??

Ok let me start off by saying this is sooo a work in progress and I will be impressed if I am able to log 2 points!!!

First off Let me publish my Game Plan!! I really think writing it down will help me!!

First off I am sure you all know me, but if not my name is Jenn Nicolds. I am 35 years old and after being in decent shape for some of my life I have put on a whopping 35 pounds..thank you, you can lift your jaw off the floor!! Sooo now here I am. My doctor basically told me I have gone to the dogs and really need to get a grip(ok, no he didn't use those words, maybe I paraphrased) OK that is me.

Where am I now?? Well I think I just told you that:) I have basically talked myself old and am in denial that I am 35 and I am convinced I am in my 60's and ready for the "home" So there is the answer to where am I now:)

I plan on getting there by following this Lifestyle Change and learning to apply it to the rest of my life. I am going to do some P90X, treadmill, and just "verbing"

Of course I will report to this dear sweet blog!! It is my favorite as it does not talk back!! And I will do it daily!!

1000 points is my goal and I have my eye on this pair of Oakley sunglasses!!!Yay!!!

So that is me....

Now lets see what this day brought.....

no workouts...ugh!! tomorrow I swear!!!

7, yes count em....7 points folks!!! I only got 4 waters in, but I did SAVOR my food and I have to say It was great!!! I really did get full on less food!!!

I did get some real height on my helping at dinner though!!

Snacking

Is anyone besides me having a hard time not snacking? This morning as I was making my boys lunches I had to remind myself over and over not to eat some of the food I was packing up. It was sure hard not to pop in a couple of those dried blueberries and yogurt covered raisins.
How is everyone else doing??
Here are some helpful hints
1. Dried fruit does count as a fruit as long as it doesn't have sugar added.
     *Make sure you read those labels
     *With dried fruit you need to eat less so only eat 1/2 cup
2.Have a plan on what your snacks will be that day.
     *It is a lot harder if you are scrounging for something last minute
3.Measure out your snacks and put them in a Ziplock so they are ready to eat
    *This way you can throw it in your purse or car so if you are out and about you won't be so tempted to buy something else.
Does anyone else have anything that helped them out?
Remember snacks are important. It helps you get to that next meal and when you are eating your meals you won't be as hungry.

This one will stick!!

Ok so everyone has their emails with your food tracking sheets, the calendar and the rules! *gasp* yes I said rules!! Don't be sad! I don't know about you but I have trained my chubby little body to break all the rules when it comes to what and how much to put in my mouth! My mother even called my Templeton while I was in Arizona(yes the rat from Charlottes Web!) So as of Midnight on the 10th of January these rules are going to stick!! I have Advil at the ready(for the massive chocolate,pepsi,and all other chemical and natural stimulants I am addicted to)!! Like Missy said, this week the only thing we are going to do is "the Plan" that is it!! That said I am off to dream of all the pain my 8:45 Spin class is going to cause my body....but I'm getting my points!! Woohoo!! Stay tuned for tomorrow!! DAY 1!!!! here we go ladies!!!

LETS GET STARTED

 I am so excited to do this with all of you. I really do believe in STREGTH IN NUMBERS.

I want this to be fun and helpful to us all. We will be having weekly goals where you can earn extra points for that week.

We will be adding helpful hints

There will be healthy recipes

Jenn and I will have are progress for everyone to see. I hope it is useful for you all to see that others are having good days and bad days.

I would also like to have everyone send me a bio and picture of yourself.

It would be fun for us all to get to know each other.

If anyone wants to add to this blog I would be happy to add you as a contributer. Just let me know.

Ok put down the doughnut... Lets get started.