Becoming Fabulously Flabless

Welcome Everyone!

2009-01-03T19:17:00.003-07:00

I'm so excited to see so many new people on board!! We're still in the process of figuring out whether or not to continue using the blog or go over to facebook completely, but will let you all know. If we stay here, you will all get administrative access and be able to post whenever you like.

So, a little tutorial on how the challenge works. On the right hand side of the screen is a list of points. The goal is to accrue the most points out of the group. The points are pretty self explanatory, but if you have any questions, please feel free to ask. You also get one free day a week, to your choosing (because we all need one!).
The winner will get a prize courtesy of all of the other participants (or maybe just bragging rights - we're still trying to figure that out). We plan on starting on Monday, January 5, ending March 21.

So, that's the basic gist of what we do on here! I hope you all are able to have a great experience with this and that we all becoming healthier together. :) I'm really looking forward to getting to know those of you I haven't met better!

And the winner is...

2008-09-23T19:09:00.002-06:00

I think it is clear who the winner is this season! Great job, Sandra!

I've got 50+ pounds to lose, so I'd like to keep this going. Who's in for a Fabulously Fabulous Fall? I might have some people that want to join in, so hopefully we can get some lively competition going again. I know I need the accountability and motivation.

In the meantime, do you prefer bath and body works or some other e-gift card? Or something else altogether? I've got $10 coming your way.

:)

Is anyone still here?

2008-09-01T17:09:00.001-06:00

I know Julie took a break when she turned off her internet....is anyone else still here? Did everyone give up? Post so I know you are still here! :)

proposed additional point

2008-07-15T15:52:00.002-06:00

I have an idea for an additional "spirtual" point. At church on Sunday we were talking about simple sins that we commit or things that are sins that are ommissions and one of the things mentioned was journal writing. Keeping a journal isn't just a suggestion, it's something that we are supposed to be doing and something that I really struggle with. At girls camp we made gratitude journals and I encouraged the girls to write in them every day and I haven't written in mine once! Isn't that crazy? Anyway, so what do you all think if we add one point per day for journal writing? It doesn't have to be a novel every day, just a line or two to help us get in the habit. (or am I the only one with this problem?) Anyway, what do you think?

serving sizes?

2008-07-15T13:51:00.003-06:00

I have always just counted one piece of fruit as a serving (or a cup of veggies) but I know that some fruits are bigger than one serving size. How do you do this? Do you just count one piece of fruit as a serving or do you know the actual serving sizes on fruit and measure them that way? Thanks!!

nothing to do with weight loss

2008-07-13T11:18:00.000-06:00

but I wanted to share. I just saw this and it is very eye opening. We try to recycle and be as friendly to our earth as we can but we do use plastic bags. Joe was saying yesterday that we need to start using re-usable grocery bags...I think he's right.

http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080506/MULTIMEDIA02/80505016

Don't Forget...

2008-07-08T08:10:00.001-06:00

When calculating your points to add 5 points for your 5 fruits and vegetables. I kept having to fix my points because I was so in the habit of only doing 1 point for that goal. :)

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-03T22:49:00.000-06:00

My issues

2008-07-03T22:28:00.003-06:00

I'm having a hard time with the dairy right now. My body doesn't digest lactose properly. I've ignored the problem for years. Okay. I've ignored it for a decade. I had to go lactose free when I was nursing Timmy, but I could still handle some cheeses and he would be okay. I'm having issues with all dairy right now. I'm really bummed about it. I really just want a bowl of cereal with ice cold milk. The supplements don't really help and the lactose free stuff doesn't taste right.

I'll figure it out. I just needed to get that out. I feel better now. At least I do like soy milk -- sort of. It's good in smoothies.

agave nectar

2008-07-01T12:45:00.002-06:00

Anyone heard of this? If you haven't it's a natural sweetener similar to honey but with a lower GI. Any thoughts? I have been using it for baking and making ice cream but I am also trying to stay true to the no sugar thing so I wasn't going to be eating any treats or ice cream, even with the agave, except on my free day. Having said that, there are certain times of the month that a girl just needs a treat and if the agave is not technically sugar and if honey is okay during this contest then would the agave also be considered okay? Here is a recipe for brownies that I made using this nectar, they were a big hit with the family.

1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup agave nectar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup flour
*mix together applesauce and cocoa powder until powder is completely incorporated into applesauce. Add other ingredients and mix, but don't over mix. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes---a toothpick inserted in the middle should come out with moist crumbs on it. By the way, this is baked in an 8x8 inch pan that has been sprayed with pam or other spray. I used bakers joy and didn't have any sticking problems.

when I made these I also added 1/2 cup chocolate chips and the recipe actually calls for any type of mix ins that you can think of but I think the brownie is pretty good on its own.

2008-07-01T08:19:00.001-06:00

Julie, Awesome background! Also I just noticed that it doesn't subtract points for more servings of sugar, soda or fried foods. Are we not doing that?

2008-06-28T14:08:00.001-06:00

Thanks for inviting me! This looks like lots of fun. I just hope I can keep up!
Kendra

Welcome Kendra!

2008-06-28T12:01:00.002-06:00

My friend Kendra up here in Logan is going to join in on this round of The Challenge! She's really fun and will be a great contribution to the group. :)
Thanks for joining us, Kendra!

Monday Start?

2008-06-25T09:22:00.001-06:00

You guys good with starting the next round on Monday? This will give us a few days to regroup and recruit anyone we want to join.
Lets also iron out anything we'd like to ammend for this round, like the 7:30 thing. Should we move it to a later time or just take it out for the summer.
Let me know if you'd like to make any other changes.

Well.....

2008-06-25T06:40:00.002-06:00

It looks like Julie won the first go round! Yay, Julie! Congratulations!! Where do we send you your gift certificates? Are you in transit?

Also, when are we starting the next contest? Let's get going!

Any Ammendments?

2008-06-20T11:55:00.002-06:00

Do you guys want to change anything for the next round? I'm all for changing no food after 7:30 to 8 - the sun's not down till 9:30 now, and we've been out and about so much that it's hard to have everything settled by 7:30 - and I'm caught rushing dinner down very often.
What do you guys think?

Home Stretch

2008-06-10T10:35:00.002-06:00

The challenge is set to end on the 19th of June, right? I'd like to start again for the summer if you want to keep the challenge going. What do you think? We can start on the first day of summer and go to the last day of summer. Who's in? Let's see if we can recruit others to participate too. The more the merrier!

girls camp!

2008-06-03T12:24:00.002-06:00

I am going to girls camp next week and we're going to be hiking, canoeing, playing softball/kickball/volleyball, etc. all week. How am I going to count activity for that? Just count the 4 or more hours per day that we're going to be physically active and not count the less active walking around or ??? What would you do? I know I am going to be more active next week than I ever am! Last year there was one day where I only sat for about an hour during the whole day and I was running all over camp the rest of the day. What do you think?

My Favorite Salad

2008-05-15T07:09:00.003-06:00

Baby spinach
thinly sliced red onion
sliced strawberries
toasted pecans or walnuts
light raspberry walnut vinaigrette dressing
grilled chicken breast
goat cheese (if I have it)
avocado

I bought some boneless skinless chicken breast on sale on Monday at HEB plus, and then I grilled all of it on Tuesday. I've had some wonderful salads this week!

Got Bored With the Background

2008-05-05T20:37:00.002-06:00

..so I changed it. :) Hope y'all like it.

I decided to track my points as I go through the week and pick my "off day" at the end of the week, because I'm finding that there are some days I have more self control than others. So, in case you're wondering why my points aren't updating throughout the week, that's why. :)

Hope you guys are doing well.

I Was Wondering..

2008-04-28T22:52:00.002-06:00

Do you two remember that you met each other - at my wedding? Sandra's Joe's wife (Steve's best man) and Kara was one of my brides maids. I was just thinking about it and realized that you guys actually met and talked at my wedding. :)

Any objections?

2008-04-28T22:40:00.002-06:00

I have been keeping track of my points on a nifty excel spreadsheet that I made. I just updated my points, and I'm noticing a trend. Saturdays are the worst day of the week for me! Would either of you object to me taking Saturday off instead of Sunday? I'm still not going to exercise on either of those days. It's just a diet thing for me.

What do you think?

interesting article

2008-04-25T08:18:00.002-06:00

I feel like I'm being a blog hog with all my posts lately but I came across this article this morning and I had to share. What do you think?
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/24295957/

Way to go, Kara!

2008-04-23T16:33:00.003-06:00

I just noticed you lost 2 more pounds for a total of 7! That's awesome, way to go! (and way to go, Julie for the 5 pounds you've lost!!--just in case I didn't already say that)

being sick sucks!

2008-04-21T21:17:00.002-06:00

Last week was spring break for my kids so I didn't work out all week, I stayed home with them instead. I was so excited to get back into my workout plan starting today but Friday night I was up all night with a major sore throat. Joe was gone on a scout campout so I couldn't sleep anyway so while I was awake I was in agony. I went to the instacare on Saturday and was told that I have a viral infection in my throat. There is nothing they can do about it but I can take zinc 6 times a day to help it go away sooner and if I'm not feeling better in a few days I'm supposed to go back to the doctor. My throat hurts so bad it hurts to talk. It hurts worse than when I've had strep throat. It feels like I'm swallowing broken glass every time I swallow. To top it off when I take the zinc it makes my stomach hurt. Happy days! Needless to say I'm eating a lot of soft, comfort foods. (like rice pudding, yum!) If I'm not feeling better by Wednesday I'm going back in to the doctor, this is just wrong!

p.s. this is just to explain my super low points so you understand why I'm slacking and not just so I can whine although I sure do feel like whining! I hope I can catch back up soon!

spring break!

2008-04-16T21:43:00.002-06:00

This week I am having a hard time getting any points at all. It's spring break for my kids so they're home from school and their cousin is staying with us while his parents are on a cruise. Right now I have 4 teenagers in my kitchen playing settlers of catan and getting ready to eat no bake cookies that I just made. I can't not have snacks on a game night for my teenage sons, right? I didn't even work out today because I took nyquil last night and ended up sleeping way in. I am still trying, but I'm not stressing. I'll make it all up next week!

Have You Guys Tried Spark People?

2008-04-16T21:11:00.002-06:00

It's an awesome site I found after I had Kathrynn.. it's actually connected to a site I used when I was pregnant with her - Babyfit.com, that helps you stay healthy while you're pregnant.

Well, Spark People is totally free and just AWESOME! When you start your account you create a goal for yourself. It only allows you to create realistic goals and will actually reject too much weight lost in a certain period of time. It has a place for you to journal what you eat, letting you know how many calories, how much fat, how much protein, etc., you've eaten during the day. It also gives suggestions of things to eat that will help you stay within the prescribed calories per day (for me it's between 1220 and 1550). My favorite part of it is the recipe section - there's a tool where you can enter your own recipes and it gives you a food label, letting you know how much of EVERYTHING there is in it.
There's also a fitness log for you, with suggestions for workouts. It also tells you how much you burn for a given workout. The site provides reports of your progress - always nice to see it on a chart! :)
There are also groups to join on there. It's just a GREAT website. It reminds me a lot of Weight Watchers online, but better... mostly because it's free, but some of the tools (like the food label for your recipes) are a little more complete.
You guys should go register - the website's www.sparkpeople.com.

biggest loser finale

2008-04-16T09:30:00.002-06:00

So, we went home teaching last night and I missed most of the biggest loser, I set my DVR but my tv was having problems and I ended up only getting to see the last 20 minutes of the show. Way to go all of the finalists! I cannot believe the change in all three, Roger, Kelly and Ali, since last weeks show. I knew Ali was going to win before she stepped on the scale, I could see that she had lost more than 6 pounds since the last show. Amazing! I wish I could have seen everyone else before and after, but oh well. What did you think, Kara?

Hey! Nice Header! :)

2008-04-11T15:30:00.003-06:00

I thought I was on the wrong blog for a second. :)

How are you guys holding up this week? It's been kind of an ugh week for me (snow, teething baby, etc), but I did a Denise Austin DVD workout today and feel GREAT! I love her DVDs - she lets you choose which segments you want to do in which order. You can work out for 15 minutes or over an hour. Love it! :)

Start!

2008-04-09T20:58:00.002-06:00

Check out this website. I think it is a great tool for tracking excercise and diet stuff. :) Plus it's affiliated with the American Heart Association. You can't go wrong there!

The biggest loser!

2008-04-09T13:28:00.001-06:00

Is anyone else watching this? Last nights show was inspirational! I was shocked and amazed at the weigh in results. If you are watching what did you think? If you aren't then you have no idea what I'm talking about and you're missing out on an awesome, inspirational show.

Arm Toning Exercises

2008-04-08T11:56:00.000-06:00

Here are some killer arm toners, courtesy of Prevention.com --> LINK

The No-Diet Diet

2008-04-07T23:05:00.002-06:00

Here's a link to a great article I just read on RealSimple.com. Great resource!

LINK

call me a pansy

2008-04-07T07:39:00.002-06:00

Well, I think I'm going to have to bow out of this competition. I'm still going to continue to eat healthy and work out, but the point system is not working out for me. It's a good idea, but I just can't do it right now. I have some other issues I need to focus on at the moment. I'll still keep an eye out on this site. Good luck to everyone.

Wow! My Sugar Tolerance is GONE!

2008-04-05T23:54:00.003-06:00

We spent the day at my inlaw's house today and made brownies (with frosting - yum!). I was so excited that I could actually have one and when I did, it was almost too much for me. I asked Steve and his mom if they were having the same reaction - if they were too sweet or too rich and neither of them thought so, it was just me.
I'm way excited about this. As I've mentioned before, I have big issues with sugar, but I think the weeks of not having it daily has really really reduced my sugar tolerance. Even better, whenever I'm at the store, I'm in no way tempted to get a treat. I'm loving this!
Hope you guys are experiencing something similar. :)

Really hope you're enjoying the weekend off - I know I am! :)

stressing hard!

2008-04-04T16:03:00.002-06:00

Today is turning out to be a hard day for me. I want to eat everything in sight but instead I will come here and vent out my frustrations. Hopefully this will keep me from eating my whole fridge! Having teenage boys is hard work sometimes. They are in a phase of life right now where they are finding it really hard to get along. Some days I swear they don't even like each other. Add that on to the fact that teenagers are just plain obnoxious by their very nature (sometimes) and I am on the verge of losing it today! I took them to walmart with me to pick out some snacks and meals for conference weekend and on the way to the store they asked if we could go to krispy kreme and get a donut after walmart. I said, sure, if they were good. How sad is it that even with bribery an almost 15 and 13 year old cannot behave like mature people in the store? What in the heck? It doesn't help that it's the first heavy day of my monthly visitor and I'm already stressed with Joes work and other things that are going on so of course I am just aching for a comfy spot to read a book and a pile of chocolate to nibble on while I read. I can't even give in to the book yet because I need to get the younger boys ready for swim lessons. I do feel better after writing all this down, maybe I can make it through today! :)

Conference Weekend

2008-04-04T06:57:00.002-06:00

I was wondering what you guys thought about taking tomorrow off of the challenge collectively. I'm only thinking about it because we spend the whole day as a family being vegetables.. I know I won't have a chance to workout at all.

What do you guys think?

From Today's Workout..

2008-04-02T15:20:00.003-06:00

I was all about lunges and pilates today.. I'm going to be in pain. My bum already hurts. :)

This is one of my favorite pilates moves:
Front/Back
A. Lie on your left side with both legs extended. Align your left side with the edge of your mat so that your shoulders, back, and bum are parallel with the mat's edge. Prop your head with your left hand just behind your left ear. Place your right palm on the mat in front of your abs for support. (For a greater challenge, you can place your right hand on your head.) Then bring your legs forward 45 degrees in front of your body, keeping your bum, hips, back and shoulders aligned with the mat's edge. Lift your right leg about an inch above your left. As you inhale, slowly sweep your right leg forward, only sweep your leg as far forward as you can without losing the alignment in your hips. Your right hipbone should remain stacked above your left, not tilted forward or back.
B. Once you've swept your leg as far forward as you can, exhale as you sweep it back behind your body and slightly up. Keep your abs strong throughout and squeeze your bum. Do 8-12 reps then switch legs. Do 2 sets.
*The key to this one is to not move any part of your body except for your legs. It works your abs, hips, legs, and bum and is AWESOME!

This is my favorite stretch, courtesy of Denise Austin (who's my hero!).
Pigeon
Get on your hands and knees. Bring your left knee forward between your hands, just to the inside of your left wrist, placing your left foot closer to your right hand. Exhale and extend back through your right leg, sinking deeper into the stretch. Hold for 20 seconds, breathing normally, then release and repeat with the other leg.
(You're basically sitting on the outer part of your knee and thigh with your other leg extended behind you. I like to lean forward and put my head on the floor in front of me - such a good stretch!)

My crazy week

2008-04-01T22:50:00.002-06:00

This past week has been crazy busy for me. Tanner turned 2 on Friday. So, there were cupcakes and brownies and ice cream... My baby only turns 2 once. So I had one cupcake on Friday, one brownie and a scoop of ice cream on Saturday.

I still lost 2 pounds last week though! I'm really proud of that!

What do you do for cardio when you work out from home? I've got stuff for toning, but I never know what to do for cardio when I'm trying to get a good workout done at home. Ideas? What works for you?

My Own Personal Cheerleader

2008-04-01T12:11:00.002-06:00

I just got done working out and had a little audience this time.. oh, how I miss going to Gold's!!! Free child care (that Joseph LOVED) and awesome pilates/yoga classes, not to mention the movie theater cardio room.. Kara, are you still going to the one on Bandera and 1604? If so, I'm SOOOO JEALOUS!!
Back to the subject.. Joseph sat on the couch and watched me workout today (when he wasn't trying to knock me over), the entire time saying stuff like "Mommy, you're really, really strong," and "Great job, Mommy!" and "Mommy, does that hurt?" It was pretty funny. Had to share. :)

By the way - I have an entire library of at home workouts. When I realized that we were moving to Logan with Steve working in Layton and that I would have no car, I started doing research. They all really kick my bum. I'd be more than happy to post some if you're interested. :)

So proud of myself!

2008-04-01T10:59:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was a crazy day here, as all Mondays are. I have a workout class for 2 hours in the morning, it's early out day, it's scouts day (which I always forget!!) and now my kids have swimming lessons at 5:30. So, yesterday while the kids were at school I had to go shopping for new sheets--shopko had an awesome 50% off sale so I got really nice sheets for a good price! Then while I was picking the kids up Joe called and asked me to run an errand for him in Provo then I had to run home and get homework and chores done and get the kids ready for swimming lessons. We got to swim lessons and the older boys and I ran/worked out while the younger boys swam and when lessons were over we decided to stay and play raquetball until 7. Do you see where I'm going with this? I had neglected to put dinner in the crockpot and by 7 we were all starving. We went to burger king for dinner and I got----a grilled chicken salad! I didn't even sneak a single french fry, even though we ended up throwing a bunch away! They smelled so delicious and I was surrounded by them, I even had to pick them up to give them to my kids and I still resisted temptation! Woohoo! It was hard but I really wanted that point for "no fried foods"

4 Golden Rules

2008-03-31T22:20:00.002-06:00

There's this show on TLC called "I Will Make You Thin." I never actually watched it, but I took note of the website. It's www.tlc.com/thin. The guy who hosts it is Paul McKenna, I think he's a motivational speaker of some sort. Anyway, he has 4 Golden Rules of weight loss that I think are just BRILLIANT and wanted to post here. They're helping me a lot. The link to this info can be found HERE.

Here are the rules in brief:
1. When you are hungry, eat.
2. Eat what you want, not what you think you should.
3. Eat consciously and enjoy every mouthful. (This one has had an AMAZING effect on me)
4. When you are full, stop eating.

I know it's all so very simple, but I LOVE the simplicity of it. No gimmicks, just following your body's cues. This is something I'm trying really hard to retrain myself on, but his rules really do help. There's a lot more meat to the rules when you read them on his webpage.
Go give it a look. It's a big help. :)

The Sugar Thing

2008-03-31T13:37:00.003-06:00

OK, Steve's having a hey day with this challenge, especially the sugar part. Sugar and I have an unhealthy relationship, thus the goal to cut it out completely - except for Sundays, of course.. we need a little time together here and there so I don't go nuts.
Anyway, anytime I pick anything up that has sugar as an ingredient, like bread for instance, he immediately asks me - usually with a smirk - if I can eat that. He then threatens to call Sandra. So, just for clarification sake if/when he does call you, Sandra, to "tell on me," no sugar means the obvious stuff: no candy, cakes, pies, brownies, cookies, ice cream, handfuls of sugar, etc. It's nearly impossible to not eat something with a sugar ingredient, but I'm trying to be mindful enough to not deliberately put sugar in my body. Got it? Hope we're all on the same page. :)
Conscious is clean and Steve has nothing to threat me with now. :)

Thanks!

2008-03-31T11:02:00.005-06:00

Thanks for the welcome Julie. I only ask about counting inches because muscle weighs more than fat and I think I might fall into the same category as Sandra as far as scales. And I think my biggest hurdle is going to be my own mind. Hopefully by seeing a psychologist, I can get past this loooonnnggg trial of the ectopic pregnancy experience. I worked in a gym for 6 years and know a lot about losing weight and exercising, so post your questions and I'm sure someone can find the answer:) Also, my recipe blog has mainly healthy recipes. For Jason(hubby)'s birthday, I'm making a low sugar, low fat cake that is delicious.

By the way...Hi Kara! Do you remember me?

Welcome Myndie!

2008-03-31T09:33:00.003-06:00

An old friend of mine from San Antonio saw our challenge on my blog and asked to join. So everyone welcome Myndie (Powell) Krause! Yea!
Myndie asked me if there was any way she could count inches instead of pounds. I was wondering what you guys thought about that. I wanted to make things like this a group decision since we're all in on it.

Victory!

2008-03-30T21:01:00.004-06:00

I haven't been able to get any pounds to drop for, oh, forever. Well, I lost 5 pounds, baby! I stepped on the scale, expecting it to pass that marker that I HATE so much, and it didn't. I sat there for a minute, trying to focus on the numbers and was in absolute awe. FIVE POUNDS! Whoo Hoo!! I almost started jumping and screaming, but I was in my in-laws' bathroom and I don't think it would have gone over well.
I haven't had this kind of success in ages and I'm pretty positive that it was due to wiping all of my vices out of my lifestyle. Hope you guys are having the same successes!

points yesterday

2008-03-27T11:03:00.003-06:00

Let me know if I added this right.....
I worked out for my 30 minutes and 20 minutes of toning plus an additional 50 minutes working out and 30 minutes stretching. I ate my 5 servings of f&v and I ate breakfast. I didn't drink soda, had at least 7 hours of sleep (although it was interrupted, but it is every night). I took my multivitamin, drank 73 ounces of water didn't eat after 7 and didn't have any sugar or fried foods. I only ate when I was hungry and didn't eat any sugar. I did read scriptures for 30 minutes. So, I earned 21 points yesterday. Correct me if I'm wrong, I don't want to be a cheater!

working out

2008-03-27T07:33:00.003-06:00

Just out of curiousity, are we counting our "cardio" as our complete workout from warm up to cool down or just the cardio portion? I got an awesome workout in yesterday and it included about 30 minutes of stretching at the beginning and at the end. (About 15 minutes each) So, does that count toward my cardio or do I just not worry about points for that?

I'm so proud of myself for yesterdays workout! I was extremely exhausted because Joe was up until 4:30 in the morning working on the computer in our room so I got really poor sleep and then had to get up with the kids at 7:20 to get them to school. I went to workout and we ended up doing 2 full hours and we are training for a 5k and I have been sick for 2 weeks with a terrible chest something--I have been coughing and having shortness of breath--anyway, I ran for 5 full minutes without stopping!! (twice!) And then, last night my kids had swimming lessons at the fitness center so I decided to workout during the lesson, I ran/walked for 10 minutes and did the stair stepper for 10 minutes! My legs are sore! Woo-hoo!

Orange Frothy

2008-03-26T11:02:00.003-06:00

I have to share my smoothie recipe too. I found this recipe when I was pregnant with Tanner. I really wanted a smoothie, but I had no milk and no ice cream. Now it is my favorite smoothie. You can substitute other kinds of juice, too. Orange is my favorite. I usually don't add any splenda, but you can if you like it sweeter.

1/2 cup orange juice
1/3 cup powdered milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
splenda, to taste
ice cubes

Mix everything except the ice cubes in the blender. Add the ice one cube at a time, letting each one get incorporated before adding the next. I usually use about 5 or 6 cubes. Yummmmm!

To Team or Not To Team

2008-03-26T09:38:00.003-06:00

OK, Steve and I were talking about the challenge last night and he thinks it's not fair to split into teams, but it should be individual against individual - that way we won't have anyone holding our progress back. What do you guys think? Should we just keep it individuals talleying points, or split into teams if/when we get an even number?
I think I'm leaning towards Steve's thoughts on it..

Also, I was thinking that since Sandra missed the first day of this, Kara, you and I should average out our points to give to her to help her catch up. That way it's more fair. I had 8 points the first day, what were yours?
Thanks! :)

I went to the gym

2008-03-25T23:45:00.002-06:00

I weighed in today! I went to the gym after work. (I'm proud of myself. I usually find an excuse of some kind.) I love the digital scales at the gym. I don't own a scale. I must go to the gym to find out if I've lost weight. While I'm there to find out my weight I might as well get some exercise.

I'm also excited because I've lost 4 pounds since the last time I weighed in, which was several weeks ago. I had a sinus infection, and the nurse weighed me when I went the doctor to get antibiotics. So, since January I've lost 12 pounds. I'm thrilled. I haven't really changed anything in my lifestyle, until this challenge. So, I'm hoping to see even more improvement since I'm actually trying.

:)

Julie's Favorite Banana Smoothie

2008-03-25T13:02:00.002-06:00

Here's what you do:
Put 1 small banana, 1 cup milk, 3-4 ice cubes and a generous squeeze of honey in a blender and blend. In one pop you've got a serving of milk, a serving of fruit, and no sugar! :) I love the honey in it - it was something I craved when I was pregnant with Joseph and it's been a staple of mine ever since. :)

By the Way, if You Have Any Great Tips, Add Them Here

2008-03-25T12:27:00.001-06:00

Once you join "The Challenge," I'll add you on as an administrator on this blog, that way you can post your points as they happen as well as post any helpful advice you may have or vent if you need to. :) I have a few things I want to post when I get a real minute to sit down. I would love for this blog to be a great resource for all of us (even if we are competing..). :)

Welcome Sandra!!

2008-03-25T12:23:00.002-06:00

My friend Sandra has agreed to join in on our challenge - YEA! I (Julie) already claim her on my team whenever we get a 4th (until then, she'll be Team Sandra). Sandra is a true bum-kicker when it comes to working out and losing weight - she was my total inspiration the last time I lost a lot of weight. :)

It's going to be great to have you on, Sandra - you'll really motivate us to stay on our toes! :)

Let the Challenge Begin!

2008-03-24T23:42:00.001-06:00

I set out to find some friends to join me for a fitness challenge - an idea that was not originally my own, but tweaked to my own needs/challenges/vices. The response was overwhelming - one whole person - probably the best friend that I have, Kara. So, for now, it's me and Kara, but the door is still open and we would love to have Team Julie and Team Kara trying to kick each others' bums! So, if you're interested in joining, let us know - there's plenty of room on board!

Here's the gist of the challenge that we're doing. Points are calculated accordingly below and whoever has the most points by June 19th (the last day of spring - this is the Spring Challenge, but I'm determined to keep this up until I'm where I should be) wins a gift card to Bath & Body Works (*note - the non-winners will be purchasing the gift card.

30 minutes of cardio = 1 point
20 minutes of toning = 1 point
5 minutes additional workout time = .5 point/5 minutes
5 servings of fruits and/or vegetables = 1 point
Eat Breakfast = 1 point
No Soda = 1 point
7 hours of sleep = 1 point
Take a multivitamin = 1 point
Drink 64 oz of water = 1 point
Stop eating at 7:30 p.m. = 1 point
No Sugar = 1 point
3 servings of dairy = 1 point
No fried food = 1 point
Eat only when hungry = 1 point
30 minutes of scripture study (to help us be spiritually fit) = 1 point
At the end of each week 2 points will be awarded for each pound lost

Sundays are off - no points, no worries. :)