I guess I can only get better, right?

Not happy about my week.  First, I only lost one pound.  But the biggest problem was the birthday party we had this weekend.  I ate I think 5 CUPCAKES!  I was up late working on birthday stuff for 2 nights so I didn't get to run.  So if I figure the point thing out right I lost about 17 points for all my shortcomings so my grand total is 25/42.  On the upside I was happier with my children & I didn't get grouchy with them as often.

This week I am already not doing well.  I have pigged out on junk, not exercised & have had maybe 30oz of water.

Diet -- My goal is for 2lb this week.  I will be counting calories.
Addiction -- Sugar is a MAJOR weakness of mine.  It is almost like a drug!  I can't cut it out of my diet completely or I will go through what a lot of caffeine addicts go through which is the shakes & headaches.  Sad, I know, but hey that is why it is called an addiction, right?  So, I will only allow my self one sweet treat less than 100 calories per day. 
Water -- 85 ounces a day
Parenting -- I will spend more one on one time with each kid.
Habit --  going to bed earlier.  I will be in bed everyday by 11...starting tomorrow.  :)
Exercise -- I am going to run on the treadmill everyday for 5 days this week & workout at the gym M, W, F.

Week 1 update for Thais

Soooo....I sucked this week! Ill admit it. I didn't lose ANY WEIGHT! Not a pound! I did awesome with my water intake and meet my goal. But I sucked at the end of the week with my calories and ate out Friday night. As for my addiction my bad mouth recked it for me. But I do have a cute pair of bright pink toes to show for working on my habits! Oh and did I mention I had NO time to go to the gym and I didn't even look at my Wii. I am thinking about joining Weight Watchers. I looked on their website and its only $40 a month, I think I need the extra help.

So to be totally fair I am only giving myself 26 pts for this week. I am going to up my game next week and man up and do this! My Husband is coming home in a little over 3 weeks and I would like to have something to feel good about when he gets here.

Mandi's Update

Whew what a week!!  At some parts I thought I was going to go crazy and just give up!!!!  But I didn't I trucked on!  When I got on the scale this morning I weighed in at 173.8!!!  I was so happy!  A little disappointed though cause I cheated on Saturday and Sunday during dinner times.  Plus I didn't exercise (unless you count chasing after three rowdy boys).  So I scored 32/42  I took some off of the weight loss since I cheated on Saturday and Sunday.  Sgt. Williams (my hubby) and I watched P90 last night to see if it was something I could do and hopefully we will start doing it tonight.  Sgt. Williams was too tired to work out last night since he was in Boise all weekend.  I am super excited and I cannot wait to see what next week says!

Katie's Update

Okay, for the points, here we go:
I got 32/42. Not awesome. It kind of lies in the Coke (Dr. Pepper, Pepsi, Cherry anything, I'm not picky) addiction. And I didn't get the 'one on one' time with the kiddos very often. I rocked the water and exercising, and did pretty darn good on the ww points. But I could have done better ... and my weight loss shows it :( I wanted to lose 2 lbs. this week, and I only lost 1.

So overall -- weight, 1 lb down, 151 total.
Points -- 32 Total.

A little update

So I just HAD to update cause I am pretty excited that I have not had a diet pepsi (or any kind of soda) for THREE days!!!  WOOT WOOT!!!  Before I averaged about 6-7 cans a day!  That left no room for water :)  but now with all the water I am drinking I don't have room for the pepsi!  Also today is the first day I haven't had the caffeine withdrawal headache!!!  I just sucked it up and drove on!!!!  I am making some stuffed peppers tonight.  If they turn out fairly good I will post the recipe.  The diet I am on I cannot have any added salt or sugar so if you are a salt lover it might taste really bland!!! 

I hope everyone is having a good week too!!!

awww man!!!

I have been doing so well yesterday and today until dun dun dun Chicken Wraps... I know they were still pretty good... But still I will have to see what tomorrow brings!  On the up side I lost 3 pounds but that is more than likely just from not drinking soda :(

Tip & Recipe

Hey guys :) Today was HARD. And the worst part is at night. I may have to spend the whole night on the elliptical to stay out of the kitchen : OH WELL!!! It's all about willpower (which I am sorely lacking!) Anyway, I read an interesting article that talks about the appetite suppression power of grapefruit (which, of course, I hate). Anyway, I did have some grapefruit essential oil which I put in a glass of water, but essentially, if you eat 1/2 a grapefruit before your meals, you'll be able to correctly gauge how hungry you are. They're low calories, but quite filling, so you'll be able to eat less at mealtimes. Anyway, thought I'd pass that along!! Also (I'm sure many of you know this already) but drinking a glass of water before eating also helps you gauge your hunger level, as thirst often presents as hunger. And COLD water jumpstarts your metabolism. ;) I thought I'd pass on a recipe, too -- (a'la my slowcooker -- I'm pretty much in love with my slow cooker).

Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Soup

(10 servings, 70 calories per serving)

2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 red onion, diced
2 (14 oz) cans chicken broth
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 tsp salt
6 oz. evaporated milk
Small handful fresh basil leaves, sliced thin

dd tomatoes, onion, broth and dried spices and salt to crock pot. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.

Carefully use a ladle, scoop tomatoes and onions out of the pot (draining excess liquid back into the pot as you're doing this....the idea is to get most of the chunks out) and into a blender. Blender on high speed until smooth. Return blended tomato mixture to crock pot.

Slowly stir in evaporated milk until soup is a consistent color (add more or less milk based on your preferences).

Stir in basil leaves.

**This freezes extremely well, so it's good to use as single serving lunches, too. It's pretty filling, and low in calories (And I HATE tomatoes, and love this soup, so go figure).**

Goals for Feb 21-27th

Diet -- My goal is for 2lb this week.  I will be counting calories, no more than 1200 calories per day.
Addiction -- Sugar is a MAJOR weakness of mine.  It is almost like a drug!  I can't cut it out of my diet completely or I will go through what a lot of caffeine addicts go through which is the shakes & headaches.  Sad, I know, but hey that is why it is called an addiction, right?  So, I will only allow my self one sweet treat less than 100 calories per day. 
Water -- 85 ounces a day
Parenting -- I am going to be more cheerful this week & be quicker to act, slower to react.
Habit --  I am going to work on prioritizing my day, & accomplishing my prioritized to do list.
Exercise -- I am going to run 2 miles per day for 5 days this week & workout at the gym M, W, F.

Happy improving all!

Paige

Katie's Goals Week 1

Diet -- I'm shooting for 2 lbs this week. WW 22 points everyday
Addiction -- only 1 coke a day
Water -- 100 ounces a day
Parenting -- one on one time with both kiddos each day -- plus preschool time with Annie.
Habit -- I'm going to work on sincerity -- finding the good in people, and letting them know.
Exercise -- I'm going to do 2 miles on my elliptical every day.

I'M LOVING READING EVERYONE'S GOALS!! GOOD LUCK!

My Goals For Feb 21 through 25th (Hartzell)

Weight: I am shooting to loose 3 lbs!

Addiction: I have one addiction that im not comfortable posting but i hope to fix the issue by self control! only at night

Water: I will drink 70 oz of water every day! (i already do this i think lol! i love water!)

Habits: Sticking to a good schedual for me and the kids! no more midinght bed times!

Parenting: I will try my best to be patient with Ayden and not yell at him so much! And i will try and spend one on one time with both every day for at least a half hour!

Excercise:i will be running Tuesday and Thursday and doing Jilian Micheals no more trouble zones Mon, Wed, and Fri (i will try to do this while casey is home! but if i slack well its for a darn good reason lol!)

Good luck to everyone with there goals! it shall be fun!

Weight loss: I’m going to set my goal high this week and shoot for a 5+ lb weight loss. I will be counting calories and allowing myself 1200 each day.

Addiction: I am going to give up three things this week: most of my caffeine, fried foods, and internet games. I will drink only one diet coke each day, I will not have any fried foods, and I will only play internet games if I have graded all papers and cleaned for 1 hour in at least one room in my house.

Water : I will drink 95oz of water each day. That means that I need to fill the water bottle 6 times.

Habits: I would like to work on changing two bad habits this week: not eating as a family, and having a cluttered environment at home and at work. I will turn off the tv, internet, etc at dinner time for at least three meals this week and Karen and I will eat dinner together at the table. Also, I will clean up and unclutter for at least 1 hour every day at home and for at least 20 minutes each day at work.

Relationships: I will help Karen learn how to cook at least two meals this week.

Exercise: I am going to use the Wii active at least 4 days for at least ½ hour this week.

Judy

Finally going to do this

My main purpose of losing weight is to not only be healthy but for my kids.  I have never taken my kids swimming.  Not because I have not wanted to, I love playing in the water (even though I am terrified of drowning).  It is because I am too insecure about putting a swimming suit on.  Having my cute little babes as done such horrid things to my body with stretch marks on my thighs and stomach and my icky huge belly.  So with doing this I hope to not only have the courage to take my kids swimming but to get out of the dark clothes I am always wearing cause darker clothes hide the fat much better!

Weight- I am going to shoot for 5lbs this week.  I will be using the Michael Thurmond's body makeover program.

Addiction-  I have many that I could give up, but I am going to go small and not try to make a goal that I know I won't keep.  I am going to say only one diet pepsi a day.  I am too addicted to it. 

Water-  I will be drinking per the diet program I am on 100 ounces of water per day.

Habits-  I am not going to over spend this week.  I have a really hard time with over spending.

Parenting-  We are going to turn off the tv and play board games with the kids.

Exercise-  Starting small again, I will try to work out with Lance after the kids go to bed.  I can't do anything too crazy since I smoke :/

Maybe after a couple of weeks of getting used to little to no pepsi I will give up my biggest money hole and get rid of the smoking.  (baby steps)

Mandi

My Goals for the Week of Feb.21 to 25

Weight Loss:
I am going to set my goal high this week and shoot for 5lbs.
I will be counting calories and will give myself 1,000 a day and NO FAST FOOD!!!

Addiction:
I have quiet a few "addictions", smoking, Dr. Pepper, cookies, chocolate, the F bomb... So I am going to pick 2 to work on. NO cussing, and only 2 8oz Dr. Peppers this week (Wish me luck...lol)

Water:
My water intake will be 133oz. of water a day

Habits:
I am one of those people who give everything to everyone and nothing to them self's, so this week I am going to do something for ME. I am going to make time to paint my toes.

Parenting:
NO yelling will be my goal. I think that sometimes I am to busy for the fallow up when I tell my children to do something and when they don't I yell. So I am going to make time for the "hey I asked you to do this and now it is time to do it" so I do not yell, I am sure my neighbors will thank me...

Exercise:
I am going to go to the gym 4 times for 2 hours this week rain or shine!!! I need to remember how much I love going and not let anything distract me from my goal. And I am going to hook up my Wii and start doing Wii fit again

ON YOUR MARK< GET SET ....

OKAY LADIES!! HERE WE GO!! EIGHT WEEKS TO A BETTER ‘US’!!

*Keep in mind these are just my ideas – my rules, with a little help from *google*, so if you have any ideas on what to change up between now and Sunday night at 10:00, let me know. After that, the rules stand, as everyone is to post their goals sometime by Monday at 10:00 p.m.*

Competition runs for eight weeks, from Monday, February 21, 2011 – Monday, April 18, 2011. Competition closes at 10:00 p.m. on the 18^th of April, and winners will be announced Tuesday.

You set your OWN goals in each of the following categories, and points are awarded for meeting each of your personal goals. *This is the honor system – you answer only to yourself, and report to us, your sisters, each week!*

I created this out of a sense of ‘whole’ well-being, not only weight loss. We may as well do the best we can to become our best selves in the next little while, right? So without further ado, here we go!!

WEIGHT LOSS/CONTROL - *Set your own goals per week – use an online calculator, doctors advice, or your own common sense about what is healthy to lose each week. It’s generally recommended to lose 1-2 lbs. per week. You can choose which system you will be using. Just let us know, so that you have something to be accountable for. For example, there is weight watchers, counting calories, the Zone diet, Atkins, South Beach, etc. Choose your program, set your calorie limits, etc. and then be ACCOUNTABLE! Keep a diary or journal each day so that you can report to us.*

ADDICTION/LOSE – We all have SOMETHING we can give up (at least I hope I’m not the only one) that will improve our physical, emotional, or spiritual well-being. It could come from a myriad of areas – caffeine, computer time, tv time, smoking, etc. So decide what you are willing to give up to better yourself, set your perameters, and let us know! *For example, I have a SEVERE caffeine addiction. I am not willing to give it up entirely right now, but I WILL limit myself to one can a day, if I’ve reached my water-drinking goals* Which moves us on to the next section –

WATER – Take your current weight, divide it in half, and then drink that amount of water in ounces per day. For example, a 150 lb. person would drink 75 ounces of water a day. That is a lot. I’ve been doing this for the last week – and I warn you, if you’re not used to it, be prepared to spend a ridiculous amount of time in the bathroom ;) (Don’t feel like you have to report the amount you drink to us – just tell us that you will, and then report whether or not you have)

HABITS/GAIN – In addition to being physically healthy, I think everyone could stand to be more emotionally/spiritually healthy. This is regardless of whether you are religious, or spiritual. It’s just talking about being across the board a nicer, more ‘glass half full’ type of person. With the guys gone, I think it’s easier to be more ‘glass half empty’, so I submit that if we attempted to do one thing each day that would be out of our comfort zone, we’d be all the better for it. It could be as simple as smiling at a stranger, or giving a sincere compliment. It could mean taking time to read your individual book of scripture, or taking time to meditate. Something that helps you to take time out from the chaos of everyday life and going beyond yourself.

PARENTING (RELATIONSHIPS) Decide on something you can do to improve the relationships with those around you. For example, if you're a parent, set a goal to spend more time with your kids, to focus on being more patient, or making sure they know you love them. Or set a goal for some other relationship in your life -- try to focus on building relationships, and showing other people how much you care for them.

EXERCISE – I would imagine we are all across the board on this one. So these goals are individual as well. You get points for reaching your OWN goal, not comparing to someone else’s. So set a goal for yourself, and strive to reach it every day.

So from my calculations, here’s where we stand.

WEIGHT, ADDICTION, WATER, HABITS, EXERCISE. If we set goals in each of these categories, the overall outcome of the weight loss will not matter so much as reaching the daily goals. Daily goals are much easier to attain than long-term goals, and then the long-term goals tend to ‘reach themselves’. So, if we allow 1 point for each area per day, that’s 6 points per day, 7 days a week, with 42 points available each week.

What I suggest we do is this – everyone who wants to participate will post their goals on Monday by 10:00 p.m. If you want to contribute to the ‘pot’, then there will be a paypal link. It’s $2/week. Don’t be discouraged from participating if you don’t want to contribute – you just won’t be eligible for the winnings. I will add up the points, and post the breakdown on Tuesdays. Please contribute tips/encouragement/recipes through the week to help us all out!! I’ll also do a sidebar for each of you after you’ve posted your tips so that we have your goals posted. I’ll make everyone a contributor, so if you want to go in and update your weight loss % during the course of the competition, please do! Or just post it on Monday in your posting, and I’ll update it.

So that’s my proposal – if anyone has any suggestions or tips – or don’t like the idea at all, let me know by Sunday Evening (just in a comment) and we’ll readjust. Keep in mind that the competition begins Monday, so everyone needs to set their goals over the weekend, and get them posted! Leave your email address in the FB page, and I’ll add you as a contributor. I’ll be locking the blog on Monday so that only contributors are able to access it, so make your decision between now and then. Thanks guys!!

*As an outline, here are my goals*

KATIE WILLSON

WEIGHT LOSS – 15 lbs.

I will be doing WW, and allowing myself 22 points a day.

ADDICTION – I will be allowing myself only one caffeinated beverage a day, only IF I have reached my water goals

WATER – I will be drinking 75 ounces a day.

HABITS – I will go out of my way to give one sincere compliment to someone every day.

PARENTING - I will spend more individual time with each of my kids each day, and try to improve my patience.

EXERCISE – My goal is 2 miles a day on my elliptical.

GOOD LUCK!