15 pound loss in 1st month!

14.9 pounds down the first month, ladies!

Scale Dodger=3.5
Nelly Leener=5.0
Mamacita=6.4

So I think we can all be very proud.

We need to set a date for our July meet-up. The "anniversary" date for each month is the 23rd, so any date close to that would be good.

I think for July we should clean out our closets, go to Plato's closet & drop them off, then go out to lunch. After lunch we should return to Plato's Closet & see if they are willing to buy anything from us, then we go looking for something to take home with us off of their racks. Might be a good place to pick up a transitional outfit! I once found my favorite jeans there--in my newer smaller size!

Scale Dodger here!

Today is Friday our new official weigh-in day, which I love by the way! I was 132 last week and when I came home from visiting my family I was 134. I ran twice this week. I really wanted to do it everyday. However, Florida is HOT!!! I will see how it goes, but it did help me lose this week. Well, I am once again 132!!!! I know that 131, 130, 129 is just around the corner!!!! I am excited for our first girls day out tomorrow. Keep up all the good work girls!

I wonder how many pounds we have lost now as a group?

I've lost 3.5 lbs!

Maybe someone can figure it out and report back.

To Leaner from Jillian

Image by ninahale via Flickr

This was in my email today from Jillian Michaels:

Suffered a Setback? Here's How to Get Back on the Wagon
It happens — you miss a few workouts and you feel like you've fallen off the weight-loss wagon. It's tempting to mentally slap yourself around, right? (Or head for the fridge.) Before you start, I want to remind you of something: Being hard on yourself is the Old You.

The New You knows how to deal with setbacks and get back on the wagon. And after all, there are no mistakes, just learning experiences. Weight loss is a process — it takes time. You will encounter small failures — everyone does — but every pound you gain can be lost.

And if you miss a workout, it's not the end of the world! Get to the gym the next day and continue to focus on your short-term goals. Just because you made bad choices today doesn't mean you can't start over tomorrow. New day? New beginning. And don't you forget it!

You want the truth?

Ok girls, so here is how I've been doing. Last week I don't remember if I posted my results but I lost 1 lb. This past weekend in Miami I consumed a LOT of Cuban food and yummy desserts and gained a whopping 4 lbs!!! I was able to drop all 4 lbs by Wed but since then have only lost 0.2 lbs even though I have been staying at 20 points or less. But I do feel good about being able to lose the 4 lbs quickly.


One small victory was we had an ice cream social at work on Wed afternoon and I had a VERY small portion, which personally I think is better than completely depriving yourself.

So I've got 9 pounds to go to my goal weight! Whoever said (I think it was Jillian) the last 10 lbs are the hardest was so right!

Mamacita's Weigh-In Day

Hey Ladies!

It's Friday, so I am reporting in:

120.1

That's down 1.7 pounds from last week. Earlier this week I was 119.1, proving again that our bodies just fluctuate.

In other exciting news, Leighton has GAINED again this week. He was 11.5 pounds on the doctor's scale 3 weeks ago. Today on my scale he was 14.5 pounds. Not a completely accurate way to measure his weight, but good enough for a rough estimate. If he continues to gain a pound a week, I think he'll be 30 pounds by the time he turns one! LOL I suppose at some point this will slow down?

--Mamacita

Lookin Good

Hey Ladies,

Maybe I should change my blogger name to BRAGGART. Seriously. I am down to 119.1 this morning. Amazing. I was just hoping to be there by the wedding. Maybe I can hope for 115 by the wedding! Yay!

I hope that once Jazz is finished with swim lessons I can hit the gym again. She needs to do swim a little on the early side or she's too grumpy for the teacher.

Hope everyone is staying on track! I will post details about our Saturday meet-up very soon!
--Mamacita

Senorita!

The look on Adam's face when he came home to pick me up for church on Sunday. Ay-yai-yai! I had been going through my closet trying to figure out what in the world I would wear for Leighton's dedication. Well, well, how about a pretty black & white skirt with the number 2 on the tag? OK, in real life I think this brand's 2 is more like a 4, but I was still thrilled to find something cute to wear at long last! Hallelujah!

Miraculously, the scale told me I was only 120.8

I was 110.7 when Baby Boy came along, so that is pretty darn close to only have 10 pounds to my pre-baby weight.

Funny, I was an angel this weekend. I did a really good job & totally stuck to my plan. Then what happens today? I am 122.7 Ha ha hilarious. I guess that just shows our bodies fluctuate no matter what--even when we are saints in the eating department. It's like my body got the memo, "Father's Day is a holiday. We gain on holidays. Retain. Retain. RETAIN!"

Hope everyone is off to a good start this week. I think we are still on for Saturday afternoon. Details to come---err, if you have ideas for what to do on a Saturday afternoon let me know. I have been nominated party planner but all I can see are SAT essays. I don't think you would enjoy a writer's circle!

Steady She Goes!

I am holding steady at 132 even without dieting or exercising so that is my success story. I am going to start running when Eliud gets home from work each day so maybe that will be a fun new twist to my lifestyle change. I like that I can do a week or two of Weight Watchers to maintain my weight. I hope that a new exercise will give me the boost I need to be interested in this again. It's hard to lost the last 3 or 4 pounds, not just physically because your body is hanging on to them, but also mentally because everything fits and I am comfortable in my own skin. I know I can lose 5 or even 10 more pounds so let's see if I can get there. I'd rather just get pregnant and gain 20 pounds!!!!! But that is another story.

Scale Dodger, no gain no loss holdin steady!

(Scale Dodger was having some technical difficulties w/posting so she email me & asked me to post for her.)

Hello, Old Friend!

Well, Ladies, today I was.............

121.0

ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!!! I am so happy I am laughing! OK, so only 10.3 pounds to get to my pre-preggers weight.

Also, I am thinking that once I get to my pre-preggers weight, I may stick to this plan a while longer, at least until the end of the six month challenge. Really I'd like to be 5 pounds toner than my PP weight, but I will take 110.7 any day if that's where the scale decides to stay after the SMS (six month slimdown).

Hope everyone is having a "GOOD" weekend!

Run Forest Run

Alright ladies... So it seems to me that this running thing might actually work. Not that I intend to join a marathon or anything like that. Running after the ice cream truck might be my only pre-planned running idea.
I still haven't weight in, for sheer fear that the scale will not provide me with the proper number. However I can only hide from the scale for about another week. I do have to admit that people have noticed the slimmer me!
A friend said, "I've notice a few rolls are missing." Good thing this person is my friend... :)
I can tell my thighs have slimmed down and well my abs they are still under that bubble belly some where. But as I am often reminded, I didn't put it all on in a week and it will not come off in a week. I am sad to say I will miss my work out this coming week since I will be helping at VBS. I will however hit my pool in the later afternoon to get in a few laps in hopes to keep up. You are welcome to join. :) May the Lord remove all fat and carb from each of your meals.... Blessings
BB

Nelly Leener

Ok, so the hubby came up with a new diet name for me (since nobody was getting Elle B Loser...LB=pounds, people!)....Nelly Leener. He is so clever. ;)

Doing ok this week...I have lost 1 lb. I haven't really cheated this week so I have been slightly annoyed by my slow progress. I think using a few flex points here and there is what's slowing me down...I need to lose 4 more pounds this week because we are going to the beach next weekend!

Amazing job, Mamacita!!! You have lost six pounds this week??? Holy cow! I may have to try to follow along...maybe I will try to bring it down to 16 points per day, too.

By the way, Friday morning weigh ins work for me...

Keep it up, girlies!

Going Down

Well well well, my little plan seems to be working...

Tues=123.0

Weds=123.3

Thurs=122.3

Today=121.8

I AM SO EXCITED! The jeans I am wearing today--Size 6 Banana Republic--are SO LOOSE. (Thanks for the "loan" Krista). I was just going to get a nursing shirt, but I might end-up needing to get jeans for my slim-down prize this month.

Official weigh-in day is tomorrow, though I am in favor of switching to Friday mornings! Not just that today was a great weigh-in, be b/c Friday nights I know a lot of us go out to eat...not that it matters to me since I am not allowed to cheat on this diet anyway!

Please post your weight loss progress in the next couple of days!

For a Good Time

Lacking motivation? This guy has an interesting approach to weight loss!

He calls it Nude at Noon ... LOL LOL LOL

http://www.livestrong.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=41465

48 Hours

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

It appears that my first 48 hours on the new eating plan are totally paying off. Granted, this is mostly water weight, I'm sure, but the number today was

123.0

!! !!
U U

Finally broken the 124 barrier & practically the 123 barrier! YIPPEE! Now I feel the strength to go on. I was getting somewhat discouraged, but now I feel the hope to continue to run the race. Thanks everybody for hanging in there with me. The other exciting thing is that I was able to fit into my favorite pre-preggo pajama bottoms last night. They are soooooo soft & comfy, so this was WONDERFUL! Hope everybody is having a good week!

--Mamacita

A New Day

Image by size8jeans via Flickr

I got together with an old friend today to do some cooking. You might actually know him. His name is George Foreman. We grilled up a bag of chicken breast tenders, enough for the entire week. I am hoping the convenience of pre-cooked & pre-portioned food will get me losing again.

Happily I was down to 125.7 today. Obviously I was experiencing a little water weight action. That puts me right on the dot for 15 pounds to my pre-preg weight. But in my 24 hour period of tremendous guilt & regret, going over the past week in my mind, realizing that I didn't track very well, I decided that I am going to do my own little Matol diet--using real food, not powders. I am going to go by their nutrition values and try to get my numbers as close to theirs as I can and see how that goes after a week. If I am happy with the results I will stick with it as my plan:

Breakfast: coffee w/2 tbsp dairy; approx 100 cal, 20g protein, low carb/low fat
* 1/2 cup egg beaters, 2 slices sliced turkey or else turkey bacon
**I microwave the egg beaters in a bowl & sprinkle with sea salt
***I use half n half for my coffee

Lunch: approx 100 cal, 20g protein, low carb/low fat
* 4 oz grilled chicken; veggies/salad (I switched to baked--much tastier)
* Salad Dressing: 1/2 tbsp olive oil, drizzle w/lemon juice; top with a favorite spice & season blend


Dinner: 7 oz poultry or fish OR 5 oz pork or red meat PLUS veggies/salad
* If Adam is having something I can't have for dinner, I have either a salad with chicken or a piece of blackened salmon by C.Wirthy (comes in microwave safe packaging)
**Make sure your veggies are low carb; broccoli is a good one; limit bell peppers & green beans to one or twice a week; carrots & sweet potatoes are NOT recommended for this diet

Snack: approx 100 cal, 20g protein, low carb/low fat
*I usually grab a pack of chicken, but other options are sliced turkey; egg beaters; a serving of sugar free jello no more than once or twice a week

Supplements: prenatal vitamin; calcium/magnesium/zinc; Omega Red; Zip Fizz 1x day


OK, just letting you ladies know what I am planning to do to get back on track this week & hopefully show a loss at our June get-together. I'd be thrilled to get under 124.0 by then. This is a pretty strict eating plan, but I am hoping the results will be worth the sacrifice. But, man, this diet is going to suck. LOL.

Am I suppose to feel like throwing up?

Alright, this week was a bit more then I had really expected. My fun, happy time of water aerobic's have come to an end. Our drill master (instructor Kristie) had decided to change it up. We are now running & walking, now in case you haven't notice. I don't run, take a good look bubble belly's don't run. Hence the "BUBBLE BELLY!" Tues. was the day of doom, after running I felt like I was going to pass out and throw up. Thankful, thursday wasn't like that I made it through the storm. I have not weighed in since my Drill master said muscle weighs more, don't freak out. I'm still counting calories and working out, for me it's not just the weight it's a mental challenge. A life style change, well ladies keep pressing on. May you have a blessed week in the journey!

BB

Oh Happy Day!

I lost two pounds this week! Happy, happy, joy, joy!!! This week was about portion control for me...although I met a friend for lunch and had family over mid week, I made small adjustments to cut calories like removing the skin off my chicken (which I've NEVER had the willpower to do before) and carefully portioning my rice to only have one cup.

Another thing I did on most days was write down everything I ate, unlike weeks before where I've just been "sort of" keeping track of points in my head. So I will try to do the same this week...trying to plan out my meals too ahead of time...and hope to lose another two lbs this week. Total weight loss so far is 3.8 lbs....10.2 lbs to go!

By the way, I am SO glad we are doing this - it helps so much to have accountability...have a great week, girls!

The bad & the ugly

127.5

I have gained a pound in two weeks. lovely. Now that baby is eating solids I think I am safe to get more restrictive.

Scale Dodger, u wanna do a system shocker for the next 2 weeks? u know, 16 pts this week, then add a point a week for three weeks? aparently i need to remind my hungry belly in a BIG way that dieting means eating less.

I'm Yours Diet Song

Here are some people singing their McDonald's order to the tune of I'm Yours. The second stanza is about a diet! Check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz31qzhswO0&eurl=http://freshnessfactorfivethousand.blogspot.com/2009/06/random-acts.html&feature=player_embedded

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz31qzhswO0

You Tube Link (I think)

How to Take Off Those Last 10 Pounds

Sorry, nothing original today! But I thought you all might enjoy
this article from Jillian's email today--I know I needed to hear
this right now! Maybe I will attempt my own 30 day challenge
starting next month to get ready for the wedding in August!


You know what I like to call those last 10 or 15
pounds that won't come off no matter what you do?
Vanity pounds.

The term describes our desire to lose weight that,as far as our bodies are concerned, actually feels healthy. Today's society pressures us to want to look a certain way, so for aesthetic reasons we try to be thinner than our bodies want us to be. Personally, I have gained and lost the same 8 vanity pounds more times than I care to admit.

Losing your first 50 pounds might have been tough, but believe me, dropping those final few stubborn pounds is a whole different challenge. The body struggles to hold on to that last bit of fat for survival purposes.

Now, don't get me wrong — you can lose the weight if you want to, but it will require you to muster a tremendous amount of restraint and willpower. If you're really up for it, do the following for 30 days:

1. Cut your sodium to 1,000 mg a day.
2. Drink at least 80 ounces of water daily.
3. Cut out processed foods.
4. Abstain from alcohol.
5. Train at 85 percent of your MHR (maximum heart rate) for 1 hour 5 times a week.

You can do a lot in 30 days — in fact, I can pretty much guarantee you will lose at least 5 pounds. And you'll feel like a rock star!

For Elle...Condiments

Can the Condiments
In a small study of college students, dressing up fries with ketchup and brownies with a topping caused the nibblers to eat from 25 to 40 percent more of these waist-padding foods. But the theory behind the additional bites isn’t just that a few extras make food taste better. The extras actually increase the amount of time it takes for your palate to get tired of the taste of a particular food. So you end up eating more, regardless of whether you’re hungry or full.

Click here to view the article.

Temptation

Ladies, I just realized that my brother-in-law's wedding is less than 2 months away now--August 8th! When I was preggers it felt forever away, but NOW, I still have in the neighborhood of 16 pounds to get to my pre-preg weight, and I have a gorgeous dress that I think I'd fit in if I could only lose 10 pounds. Somehow I'm not so sure I will lose 10 pounds in 2 months! Ahh! It is so tempting to want to buy my Matol food again, just to see quick results. Oh dear, please pray for me because I am just dealing with these feelings, not that I am putting my thoughts into action. SOOOOOOOOOOOO.......back to the straight & narrow for the rest of the week! I will be grading the SAT's for the next two weeks, so maybe I will do 2 weeks of no flex points & hopefully see some good results.

Keep up the good work, ladies!
--Mamacita

Mid week update!

Well hopefully everyone is having a successful week with their weight loss and fitness goals. I have been sick since last Thursday and I feel just wretched, I also have no appetite. This has worked to my benefit! I was a little sad that I just didn't have the energy to exercise, but my scale it still happy. So, although I am thrilled to see my scale creep down each day....I think I would still prefer to feel well and work it off on my own. Have a great week!!!!

The kitchen's calling....

Alright so I'm new at that post your progress thing. I have to say today has been a really rough day. The kitchen keeps calling and well I keep answering! I guess it could be worse, no not really. I've been on the dailyplate since March 9, 09 and to date I've lost 15 lbs. I'm ready for the next 15. Only 4 more to lose for preprego... but good Lord don't let me stop there! Well have a wonderful week and if the kitchen calls DON'T ANSWER!

Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce at Chick-fil-A

So before I go any further, you have to understand something about my eating habits. I LOVE dipping sauces. I will not even begin my meal until I have the appropriate dipping sauces at my disposal...this, I believe, is often my downfall when it comes to dropping the pounds...

So I have been eating Chick-fil-A occasionally the past couple of weeks and just assumed that the Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce was low in points (silly me)...I kept telling myself I would look up the nutritional info on it, but kept forgetting. This sauce is absolutely delicious and not only have I been putting it on my chicken sandwich but dipping my fries in it (oh the SHAME!)....come to find out...

2 POINTS each packet! Which wouldn't be the end of the world, except one packet is no where near enough! I have been using 3 or 4, sometimes 5 of these (again, the SHAME!!!). That is an extra 10 points!!! It would be healthier to use only one light mayo packet for my sandwich and use only ketchup on my fries, which is what I will do from now on....but at least now I know why I did not drop any pounds this week. :( I maintained my weight and hope to lose between 0.5 and 2 lbs this week. I think my main problem is I have been calculating points in my head instead of writing down the exact # of points I'm consuming. Need to get more strict on not going over 20 points each day!

By the way, love the new background Scale Dodger!

I've arrived. Not together enough to be as successful as I'd like, but I am here. Love to all! Mom / Lin (hmm, maybe my name for this blog should be Procrastination Princess?)

Mamacita Celebrar!

Happy news, I was 124.8 today. Up a tad from yesterday, but a 1.7 pound total loss overall, and two pound loss for the week...

TOTAL LOSS TO DATE: 1.7 pounds

WI#3=124.8
WI#2=126.8
WI#1=126.5

Hope everyone is having a good weigh-in day. Please let me know if you think we need a new template, BTW. The black is killing my eyes. Maybe Scale Dodger could pick out a new one sometime in the not so distant future???

--Mamacita

Scale Dodger: Moving in the Right Direction!

Early on this week I didn't think a weight loss would happen. I ate flex points over the weekend and the damage haunted me through the earlier part of the week. By Wednesday I was starting to feel weak and little yucky. By Thursday I was officially sick. I am still dealing with some symptoms, but I feel better today. When I got on the scale I felt even better. I was 133.8 last Saturday and today.......drum roll please............I was 132.4!!!!!!! I lost over a pound. My goal is to lose a half a pound or more each week. I think being sick had a lot to do with this because I just didn't feel the need to snack. I barely wanted to eat...but I did.

Start: 135.8
1st: 133.8
2nd:132.4


Keep up all the good work girls! I will be planning our first girls day out on Saturday the 27th so stay tuned for the details.

-Scale Dodger

Chick Fil A Ranch

No, I am not speaking of a weight loss camp wherein you eat chick fil a for breakfast, lunch, & dinner, though that would be a great idea!

I am referring to the Chick Fil A Buttermilk Ranch Sauce. The little tiny tub that you open to dip your chicken?

3 POINTS !!!!

I swear to only eat it in dire emergencies in the future. I never realized it was so high in points. You can have 14 ounces of You Say When for that many points! Jeesh!

Hallelujah!

124.6 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gloria Dios

The scale at last he gone into rewind mode! YIPPEE!!!! I was 125.6 or 125.9 this morning. A little hard to judge which one since the scale can change a little based on which tile I sit in on in the bathroom. At any rate, 24 points is looking more & more like an appropriate amount for this nursing Mama. I wish I could have the normal 10 points for nursing, but maybe I am just too short for that? I will be SO happy if I weigh 126.3 or less on Saturday morning.

I am wondering what to get myself for my reward this month...maybe a new criss-cross shirt? They are so great for nursing!

Visualize yourself in your prize for the month, girls! Remember, it needs to be something to make you feel good NOW, not two pounds from now.

As for how much to spend on our little monthly prize, WW is approx $40 a month if you attend meetings, so for me I am thinking I could justifiably spend up to $40 on myself, but not sure if this should include what I spend on the girls night out as well? Guess it depends how rich I feel as the date draws closer! Heck our get together could be eating & then shopping for one new article of clothing together. But I am hoping Krista will plan this month's event. I can save shopping for when it's my turn to plan the event.

Mamacita Chiquita!

Okay, not quite chiquita, but I was back to 126.8 today, the same as my Saturday weigh-in. I am hoping to be 126.3 this Saturday. Maybe 24 points is my groove...I hope!

My new M-F daytime game plan is...24 points a day.

1. Wake-up & have coffee with half n half.
2. Late morning--have oatmeal or an egg beaters mushroom omelette (2 points)
3. Afternoon--Eat an Arnold Sandwhich thin with sliced turkey (2 points)
4. Late Afternoon--Snack such as a WW smoothie, fruit, or carrots (0-2 pts)
5. Dinner--Eat whatever my husband is eating but make sure I stay within my points.
6. Evening Snack--a popsicle, fudge pop, or frozen smoothie, fruit or ice cream.

I also would like to try not to eat past 9:30 pm. Most people choose an earlier hour for this but we are late night people! I guess if I have a craving past this time I will have a diet soda or some Crystal Light.

Thanks ladies for your encouragement. I'm so glad we are doing this.

Sticking it out for Six Months,
Mamacita

What if I stumble?

Mamacita, this one's for you...

Don't feel too discouraged about a little weekend cheating. We went to the Cheesecake Factory on Sunday and I had my favorite pasta....I gained 1.8 lbs by Monday morning! However, I balanced it out by having an extra low point day yesterday and working out. By this morning, I had already lost 1.8 lbs! So it's Tuesday morning, and although I haven't lost any weight this week I don't feel deprived. In my opinion, it's best to allow yourself ONLY ONE cheat day (or meal) per week if you really want to lose weight. So your idea of saving your flex points for the weekend is great! I remember when I went to the Weight Watchers meetings they actually encouraged us to "take a cheat day" and to USE our flex points. Otherwise, if you feel deprived, it may lead to binge eating where you say the heck with it and eat everything in sight. Sometimes if I beat myself up about cheating, I get into the "all or nothing" mentality (like theat article you posted by Jillian) and start thinking "I can't do this"....which can lead to throwing in the towel.

So like you said, just hit the reset button and keep going!

Bummed Out But Sticking it Out

Well, I cheated A LOT this weekend. It was hard to resist overeating when I went out with my mom & grandma, hard to know what to cook for dinner for 6 people, hard to say no to my Grandma's homemade apple pie a la mode. Why does the weight get even higher two days later? I don't know, but I have a new game plan. I am going to aim for 24 points a day Mon-Fri. I am saving all my flex points for the weekend--LOL, this might have to include Friday nights. I am also going to see how it goes eating carbs. But M-F I am going to try to stick to whole grains as far as carbs go. I was so upset to see my weight sky rocket from 126.8 on Saturday to 128.9 this morning. My email today was encouraging, though. Here's to not giving up, to sticking with the program for 6 months no matter what. Hope everybody is having great week!

Here's an excerpt from the email I got. You can click on the words to see the entire article. I quite enjoyed it because the author acknowledges that some people do weigh themselves daily and he talks about how he used that data to anyalze his weight loss/gain patterns:

Take a Cheat Day

It's important to remember that despite the fact that I gained weight on the average weekend day, overall I successfully lost more than 40 lbs. Since it's possible to lose weight over the long run without getting too worked up over the weekends, some think the best bet is to loosen up a bit and take a "cheat day". Of course, even with a cheat day it's essential to maintain some degree of moderation and ensure one day off doesn't lead to two or three (or more).

Above all, remember that weekends are meant to be a time of relaxation and rejuvenation. Whatever strategy you decide to take, make sure you maintain a sense of balance and enjoy your time off.

Your thoughts...

Do you struggle with weekends? How do you stay on track?