Ten Pound Tuesday: It Will Happen

Before Thanksgiving, huh?

Has anyone else come to the realization that all ten pounds might not be off before Thanksgiving?

I had the greatest of intentions- Lose 10 pounds before Thanksgiving. Instead, I gained a few and then maintained. And now it is only two weeks and a few days before Thanksgiving. It would take a serious grapefruit diet or fast to get ten pounds off by then, and that would be contrary to my "lasting change" goal.

I still want to encourage those of you who worked hard to get there by Thanksgiving. Here's me cheering you on, "YOU CAN DO IT!!!!" I'm so impressed by your ability to stick with it and stay focused. You're awesome.

And for those of us who aren't going to make it by Thanksgiving, I want to cheer us on, "WE CAN DO IT!!!!" Just not by Thanksgiving, but I'm determined. If I don't QUIT, it will happen. So my Ten Pound Tuesday is going to keep going until I get there. I hope some of you faithful readers will keep at it with me until we reach the finish line.

All of the encouragement and cheering me on last week helped me more than you can know. I'm working on getting my head back where it needs to be.

Here's some quotes from The Dieter's Prayer Book that have been an encouragement this week:

The most impacting chapter was number 7: "The Trouble with Denial."

The author quotes Dr. Phil in this chapter, "You cannot afford the luxury of defensiveness, and you cannot afford the luxury of lies and denial. Denial after all, is what kills dreams. It kills hope. It kills what might have a real chance to overcome a problem had the solution just been pursued in time."

I had to face again that I am my worst enemy. Not in a beating myself up kind of way, but I had to ask myself, "How am I getting in the way?" It's funny. Every time I want something or ask for something from God, His answer seems to be that I need change at the heart level first.

Ask God if there is any corner of your heart that you keep in the shadows of denial.

Is denial denying me success and health? (pg. 24)

I've just been trying to honestly look at what I do and think and feel that keeps me from crossing that finish line that I've been working so hard to cross. What barriers have I put up myself.

Chapter 10 was awesome, too: More Than Conquerors

Do you feel like a conqueror today? You are! Even if you feel defeated and victory seems far away. If there's one truth you cling to in the coming months, let it be this: Nothing- no amount of fat or failure!- can separate you from God's love or rob you of the conquering power you inherited from Him. (pg. 30)

Remember- It Will Happen!

Here's to a successful, more than conquerors, not letting myself get in the way week! : )

Thank You

Wow. All of your comments were so encouraging and helpful. You each gave me something to think about.

God is doing a lot of work on me from the inside out again. : ) I think I've made a good turn in the right direction again when it comes to this struggle with eating. I've decided it is something that will never be easy for me, but will be something God uses in my life to refine me and keep me close to Him.

I'm winning again in the battle of Becky vs. the Halloween candy, too, which is a big step! I thought it was a hopeless cause there for awhile. : )

Hope you all are having a great weekend.

I'm Really Struggling

When I thought up the idea of Ten Pound Tuesday challenge, I was so excited about the possibilities. I imagined how we could encourage and inspire each other, and how much easier it would be to get those last 10 pounds off. Then I...and I don't know what happened. It certainly has turned into a CHALLENGE for me. Instead of being easier, it got harder.

October disappeared in a haze of sickness, and now it is November, and instead of losing 10 pounds I've gained two.

I'm not only struggling to lose weight, but struggling just to get the blog post up on Tuesday. I'm so sorry. I do have some thoughts for a post that I hope will be more inspiring than this whiny one. Thank you so much for being patient with me.

I really like the book I'm reading. I'll be back soon with a new post. How's it going for all of you? Challenging? Successful? This is a tough time of year on the willpower, isn't it?

My Inspiration for the Day

Does the object of your desire support the weight of your desire?

I just posted a video on my personal blog by Jennifer Rothschild that spoke to me today. When I finished watching it, I found this other devotion video. Wow, did it hit home! I knew I wanted to share this other one with all of you over here. (You can pop over to Everyday Becky to learn more about Jennifer and to see the other video.)

Here's our question for the day- What would our lives be like if we lived this way?

I'm lifting all of the prayer requests from yesterday's post. This is a tough season when it comes to food. But you have a strength greater than yourself to make it through. Other Becky- I'm lifting your mom and asking God to give you peace and comfort while you can't be with her.

Cheering you all on!

Ten Pound Tuesday- Inspiration Just in Time

I'm going to give myself a week of being back in the land of the living before I do a progress report.

It's funny- most people stop eating when they are sick. As usual, I turn to food for comfort when I don't feel well. I did it again this time. I kept thinking, This might settle my stomach or This will give me energy or This will just feel good to eat! Then when it doesn't work, and I still feel yucky, I try something else. Dumb. : )

So, I need another do-over. : )

Thankfully, my new book, The Dieter's Prayer Book by Heather Harpham Kopp, arrived just in time for the inspiration I need. So far, I'm really enjoying it and grateful for the insight.

I thought I'd share some of my favorite quotes and my thinking from the introduction with you:

Spiritual Transformation

Slowly I came to realize that I needed more than just information and determination to conquer my own weakness. I needed daily inspiration and help- and a power greater than my own inadequate will. (pg. 3)

If there is one thing I've learned over these past 13 months, it has been that I have met the enemy and it is me. Within myself I am not strong enough. I have an inadequate will and inadequate ability to deny my own cravings and weakness. Instead of needing another diet plan or another exercise routine, I needed to start at the heart level. At the spiritual level. I'm learning that everything stems from the condition of my heart. That's why I agree with this-

Ultimately, I believe the struggle to gain control of our eating habits and to accept our own body involves a spiritual transformation. (pg. 4)

If lasting change is my goal, I need to be aware of this and to remain aware of it because:

For those of us who live in a culture of plenty, convenience, and excess, eating can become a substitute for soul tending. (pg. 5)

AND

Because none of us can stop eating altogether, the struggle to master our eating habits is ongoing- and always at risk of being derailed. (pg. 5)

Boy, I've proven that this month. Even after all of my success. Even after climbing so far up my personal Mt. Everest, the danger of avalanche is always there. I need a strength greater than myself to make it.

Does God Care About Dieting?

I'm really learning that He cares the most about the condition of my heart. Dieting draws me to where my heart is the healthiest:

With every hunger pang that has little to do with our stomach, God is calling us homeward, reminding us that He alone satisfies...As we do this, the same empty longing that makes us want to overeat will, if we let it, become a spiritual opportunity. (pg. 6)

Perhaps we think that these issues are too superficial, too vanity driven to merit a consciously tended conversation with our Creator...When we call on God to help us with our eating, we are not trivializing God's role in our daily life, but enlarging it. (pg. 7)

I'll share more later this week. I'm thankful I have this book to help me get my head, heart, and mind right so I can succeed.

I had a prayer request: Will you pray that I will get my strength back? I'm still feeling yucky, but it has been two weeks and I just don't want to keep laying around being sick. I want to get back to this and other goals in my life. Thank you!

How can I pray for you?

Let's share in the comments how things are going- you can share your success so we can celebrate with you and cheer you on, or you can be honest about challenges so we can pray or maybe even offer some ideas for solutions.

Hope you are all well!

I'm still here...

sort of. : )

I haven't been feeling well for the last two weeks, and what started out as a bad cold, just doesn't seem to be getting any better. I keep thinking, I'm not that sick, but I'm having a hard time keeping up on anything. All I want to do is sleep. And I wish that person who is trying to drill a hole in the middle of my forehead would knock it off! : )

I think it is probably time for a trip to the doctor. I'm sorry I've neglected all of you, especially those who are doing the 10 Pound Challenge with me. Don't give up on me!

Be back soon!

Love,

Ten Pound Tuesday

I'm sorry my post for 10 Pound Tuesday is a little late. It's been a busy Tuesday! : )

I'll be back this evening to update. My new book came and I'm excited to tell you about it.

Be Back Later.....

Becky

Ten Pound Tuesday- Do Over

How did your first week go?

I hope it was an awesome week and you saw some success on the scale. My friend, the "other" Becky in England, lost 2 pounds this week. Way to go Becky! Your blog comment showed up at just the time I needed some inspiration. I was already feeling ready to quit, and reading your email helped me refocus. Thank you!

Did you ever yell, "Do Over" as a kid? Whenever we dropped the dice on the floor during a game, or missed a shot during a game of "Pig" we always yelled, DO OVER!

Well, this week I'm declaring a do over for myself. I started Tuesday and Wednesday so motivated by this challenge. And then...

My daughter got sick, I got sick, my back went out again, hormones were raging....and I have many other excuses I won't bore you with. All week I kept saying, "All these people are paying attention now. I've got to get myself together!" But I didn't and I don't know why.

And then I weighted myself this morning. I do not have a great weight loss to report. Quite the opposite. I have a weight GAIN to report. 2 pounds. Ouch. This was anything but a stellar week.

But this morning as I'm thinking it all through, I'm thinking maybe it is a good thing for me to have a rough start. I'm hoping if any of you had a rough start, too, you won't give up and you'll just cry "do over" with me.

It's real life and losing weight is not easy. I want lasting change, so I need to look at my failures just as much as I do at my successes and ask, "Why?"

Here's what went wrong this week:

1. Thinking I've been doing this for so long now I can "keep track of it all in my head."

Yeah, that's what I thought about Natural Family planning after my first daughter was born. Ummm...we have two daughters who are only 13 months a part, so you can figure out how well I did with that! : )

2. Using food for comfort. I did not feel well this week hormonally and physically. I still don't. I have to find other ways to deal with that instead of comfort carbs.

3. No movement or exercise.

4. No water. I lived on coffee and Diet Pepsi this week. I'm not sure if this affected my weight loss, but I'm sure it isn't healthy.

Here are my goals for this week:

1. Detailed Food Journal. I cannot keep track of it in my head. It is too easy to cheat that way. I will be recording everything and planning ahead.

2. My back is hurt, but feeling slightly better today. I think some walking will do me good.

3. Water before caffeine

Here's to a better week for me! And a successful DO OVER. : )

Just because I had a rough week, doesn't mean you did. Any celebrations out there?

1. How did it go?

2. What challenges did you face? How did you handle them, good or bad?

3. Any goals for this week?

Feel free to answer any or none of these. I'm so thankful for all of your support. Don't forget to cheer each other on and visit the blogs of those who have them.

Here's me cheering you on:

Keep going! You can do it! : )

BTW- My prayer book isn't here yet. I'm hoping maybe today. I'll start blogging about that when it gets here.

Anyone watching Biggest Loser with me tonight? Go team Abby! : )

My Plan

I am so excited about all of you who are joining me for this challenge! I can't believe what a difference it has made for me already. Yesterday and today have been tough, but knowing you were all in this with me gave me an accountability factor that kept me on track. I'm not going to weigh in until next Tuesday morning, but I'm hoping I'm already on the way to our goal!

I wanted to get out "on paper," I mean cyberspace, exactly what my plan is for losing this weight. : )

Eating:

In the past, when it was time to lose weight, I would either diet and not have enough energy to exercise, or I'd workout hard and get so hungry, I'd blow my diet. This time I'm realizing that in order to be successful, I have to get that part balanced.

I've found that I lose weight at about 1200 calories. That is really low for a lot of people, but that seems like it is the magic number for me. I found, though, that not all calories are created equal. I have to make every one of those quality calories, or I get grumpy, always feel hungry, crash at about 3 or 4 o'clock, and often end up eating more than I should to make myself feel better.

So these are the rules I'm living by for food:

1. Produce and Protein at EVERY Meal/Snack I shoot for 3 fruits and about 4-5 servings of veggies a day. I add hardboiled eggs a lot or use milk or Whey powder for extra protein to breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snack to help me get through my afternoon slump. I really think this is the "secret" to my success so far.

2. Spreading my calories out between 5-6 times a day to keep my blood sugar steady and me feeling satisfied.

3. Correct portions (measuring when I need to) *This is so eye opening for me when I start seeing what portions are supposed to be!

4. Trying to get at least 8 glasses of water in. This is always a tough for me because I'm such a coffee drinker but always makes a big difference in how I do.

5. Adding fiber or protein powder if I need to a meal to keep me satisfied (Generic Benefiber or Whey Powder)

Exercise:

I was doing so great with exercise until I had surgery in May and then hurt my back in August. I'm healed now from both, but need to be careful about my back, so I've got to ease into exercise again. For this week, my plan is to get at least 4-5 days of activity in, even if they are small. For example, Tuesday, I got up before the kids and rode my exercise bike, and then this morning was "Walk to School Day" for my girls, so I walked with them to school. Both weren't very intense, but I want to be careful to build up and not go gung ho like I always do and end up injured or eating too much. I'm looking for ways to play with my kids and to get outside in the Fall weather.

Eventually, I want to start doing the Couch to 5K plan again and work back up to P90X. I recommend the Couch to 5K plan if you are hoping to get into running. It was so great for me last Spring. It started out so easy and then I was completely ready for the race I ran. I can't wait to get that going again.

Inspiration:

I ordered a used copy on Amazon.com of Heather Kopp's book The Dieter's Prayer Book: Spiritual Power and Daily Encouragement. I've never read it, but am looking forward to getting that started, too. Let me know if any of you get it, too.

OK- That's my plan in a nutshell. : )

How have the first few days gone for all of you?
Anyone else want to join us?
Have you thought about what your plan is going to be?

I'm praying for all of us!

Ten Pound Tuesday Begins!

It's kick-off day! Are you ready?

I shared with you in my last post that I've had a hard time getting off the last 10 pounds. I'm down 51 pounds from September '08 and only have 10 more to go to cross the finish line.

I needed a push to get there, and many of you volunteered to join me. I'm looking forward to the support and encouragement we'll be able to give each other. You can join in at any point. The more the merrier. : ) Feel free to use the picture above if you want to blog about this or to put on your sidebar.

I wanted to share a little of my vision for how this will work. I see this being about support, accountability, inspiration, and fun.

Timeframe: Before Thanksgiving

I thought getting there by Thanksgiving would be reasonable and a great way to start off the Holiday season.

(Then we can do something different to support each other through the holidays)

Accountability: Each Tuesday, I'll post "Ten Pound Tuesday" where I'll tell you my results,
challenges, and goals for the week. You'll be able to link to your blog if you are sharing your efforts there, or you can tell us how you did in the comments section here if you don't have a blog or aren't ready to go quite that public. It's totally up to you. You never have to tell us how much you weigh. I'm not planning on telling you how much I weigh, either. : )

Inspiration:

I found this book online and after reading excerpts I thought it looked like a great fit for me. I'm ordering it and will be reading it and blogging about it throughout this challenge. You don't have to buy the book to play along, but it would be fun to know others are reading along with me, so let me know if you do.

Fun: OK, now you're wondering how losing weight could ever be fun. I'm working on that. : ) For now though, I think it will be fun for you all to "meet" each other. I know a lot of you, but I am excited for you to get to know and cheer on each other. I'm hoping along the way we'll all plan some rewards for ourselves, and I'd like to throw in a few little giveaways. As always I'm on a budget and want these to be calorie free, so they will be little and not Starbucks this time. : )

How to Begin:

1. Use the comments here to introduce yourselves to one another. Tell us a little about yourself and your goals for this.

2. Make a plan! I truly believe you can't just want to lose 10 pounds. I'm hoping everyone will pick something healthy, no grapefruit diets or starvation plans, promise? Remember lasting change is the goal. Over the next few days, I'll share what my plan is going to be, but here's my disclaimer- I'm not a doctor or nutritionist, just a girl trying to lose weight, sharing with her friends what's working or not working for me.

3. Optional- Order The Dieter's Prayer Book: Spiritual Power and Daily Encouragement by Heather Kopp

4. Optional- Become a follower of this blog so you'll know when I've posted. It is a little less consistent than my personal blog, so following lets you know when I've updated other than Tuesdays.

Can't wait to get to know each other better. Here's to less of us by next week!

Want to Do this Together?

I'm feeling so good lately.

I never thought that would be a problem. But in a way it is. I'm fitting into clothes. People have been so kind with compliments. It's wonderful, but a problem, also.

Because I don't feel desperate anymore, I'm struggling to stay motivated to get ALL the way to my goal.

I'm only 9 pounds away. So close. Yet so in need of some motivation/encouragement to make it to the end.

I'm not exactly sure what I've got planned, but I was wondering if there are any other readers out there interested in supporting each other to lose 10 pounds?

• They could be your first 10, to get you jump started.


• They might just be 10 that you've been packing around for awhile and know you'd feel better to kiss them goodbye.


• Or you might be like me, 10 pounds away from a goal you've been working toward for a long time and need a push to cross the finish line.

I just think it would be fun to do some kind of challenge, or book club, or support group, or something to give us all the accountability and support we need. Anyone out there interested or possibly interested? Ive got some ideas rattling away in my brain, and I'll come up with more details soon. Let me know if you have some fun ideas.

As always, the focus will be lasting change, not quick fixes. (Who wants those 10 pounds back at the end? I sure don't!) : )

Hope you'll join me!

Biggest Loser Starts Tonight!

I love that show! : )

Hope my DVR didn't fail me so I can watch it tonight later.

Any other Biggest Loser fans out there?

One Year Ago- Before and After

Yikes! How did a MONTH go by without an update?


Thanks Andi and Crystal for reminding me that I was neglecting my poor fitness blog! : ) School starts again on Monday. Fall is in the air, structure is returning to our life again, and I will be here on a much more regular basis.

As I look toward the first day of school, I'm reminded of where I was at in this fitness journey one year ago.


It was the first day of school 2008, and I was at the beginning...facing Mount Everest once again.


I was emerging from four years of loss and grief, and had given birth to a baby two weeks before someone caught me in this picture. I definitely wasn't posing for photos at the time. I never want to be there again.

Today, I am celebrating that this is the me who will be taking my girls to school this year:




But I am also praying, because I know I'm about to face the most difficult part of this journey of all- the lasting change part. I would like to lose between 10 - 15 pounds more and be done losing. I then enter into the part I've never learned how to do: maintenance of a healthy lifestyle and weight.


More posts to come soon!


Thanks for cheering me one!


Stats:

45 pounds gone
15 to go
Goals: Learn maintenance and how to keep off the yo-yo diet trap. Learn how to have lasting change spiritually and physically.

Confession Time

I've spent a lot of time talking about my successes lately. I think it is equally important to share my failures.

I just came home from my son's doctor appointment. He's been sick, his sisters have been sick, I feel sick. It was two hours past lunch time. Everyone was melting down. The door to door meat salesman was at the door.

I was hungry, grumpy, and stressed, and I cheated on my diet. I just started grabbing handfuls of cereal, bites of the zucchini bread I made for everyone else, then it turned into "just a little mugful of cereal" which had to be refilled three times. I finally decided I needed to stop myself, come over here and confess and then get out of the kitchen and back on track.

To be honest, I just want to give in to this binge. I want to, but I'm not going to do it. That's why I'm rambling on this blog right now, stopping myself. The old me wants to wait until tomorrow to get back to it, and to enjoy this mess up to the fullest extent. But the new me likes being the new me and wants to do things differently this time around.

So....I think I'll grab an apple, drink some water, and be done. The End. : )

By the way....

How many times do you have to tell the meat salesmen you don't want meat before they stop coming anyway? Seven times? Seventy times seven times?????

Told you I was grumpy.

The 4 P's That Are Working for Me:

1. Prayer- This journey has been way more about me being spiritually healthy and figuring out what was the underlying causes of my weight issues. God has blessed me so much this time and I'm so grateful. I've asked Him to re-teach me how to eat and think about food and my body, to be the strength and discipline for me that I don't have in myself, and to show me how to do this in a way that would please Him.

2. Produce: I'm eating at least four servings of vegetables: 2 at lunch, 2 at dinner, and 3 fruits a day. The bulk of the veggies really curbs my appetite and the fruit has become a treat.

3. Portions: I think there are two schools of thought when it comes to dieting- eat bigger portions of "light" food or eat small portions of "real" food. I've learned to really enjoy real food, just less of it. I'm re-learning what a bowl of cereal should look like or allowing myself some dessert- just a little. I'm also using light foods, reduced calorie and fat, but I'm sticking to food that tastes good. I don't want to sacrifice taste just so I can have more.

4. Protein: Adding protein to my meals has helped so much with keeping my appetite down and steady. Whey protein is an easy way to add protein to meals.

I'm getting to a point where I'm really enjoying things. Shopping is getting fun again. I just feel good and I'm so grateful.

I weighed in this morning, so here's a progress report:

- 45 pounds since September

Goal: Lose ten more before August 14th and then learn how to maintain the weight loss. That is something I've never learned in the past. I've been a yo-yo dieter and am determined not to be this time.

Too Many BLT's

I'm really excited about the progress I'm making. Another 10 pounds lost since May 30th for a total of 40 pounds! since September Yippee! This has been such a blessed journey this time around. I'm really thankful. I would like to lose 10 more before my baby's first birthday on August 14th.

I really miss running. I think I should be able to get back to running within the next week or two. I feel great after the minor surgery I had in May, but the doctor said to wait to run again. I'm not sure how I'll know I'm OK. I guess if nothing falls out while I'm running? Sorry if that is TMI. : )

The running I do should probably be called jogging since I'm not that fast. That time is so special to me. It is a time when nobody needs me. I can think and pray and daydream. Walking has been nice, too, but I need to start training for a 5 mile race I want to try in September.

I'm really pleased with my weight loss, but I've noticed that I've hit a plateau these last few weeks. I want to complain and say, "That's not fair! I'm eating so little, how can I not be losing weight?" Then I remember.

I remember all of the BLT's. No, not Bacon Lettuce and Tomato Sandwiches. I mean all the Bites, Tastes, and Licks that don't count, right?

It is so easy to pretend that the bite of my kids' mac and cheese is free of calories, or the chunk off their granola bar, etc.

Once the BLT habit begins, it is a hard one to break. That's my focus for this week: NO BLT'S! : )

I'll check in later to report how I'm doing resisting those pesky BLT's.

Putting on my Running Shoes Instead of Being a Spectator

Boy have we had a BUSY week! Summer vacation started with a bang for my girls and we have been on the GO!

Every morning for the next three weeks, we will be at our local college where the girls are taking swimming lessons. The first day I sat and watched the entire 50 minute lesson. By the second day, I thought, "They are safe with their teacher for nearly an hour. Why am I sitting here being a spectator?"

So from that day on, I've been walking through campus and on the greenbelt. The river is so beautiful right now. Even though I don't have the green light from my doctor to run again, the walking is doing a lot of good. I work up a sweat, my baby falls asleep for a morning nap in the stroller, and I get to be a participant in life instead of a spectator.

I watch the first few minutes of swimming lessons and the end so I have enough to talk about with the girls and to encourage them with. I want for other ways to add activity into my day. Not all exercise needs to be a scheduled event. Sometimes, we can just squeeze in a walk instead of waiting in a waiting room or for a prescription to be filled, etc.

Tomorrow, I weigh in again. I'll post a progress report then.
Happy Weekend!!

Rediscovering How Good Food Tastes

Have you ever noticed how good food tastes when you are hungry? There is no greater seasoning than hunger. : )

While I'm eating less and trying to lose these last 20 pounds, I've noticed that I'm enjoying every single bite I take. I pay attention to texture and flavor and appreciate every calorie.

I guess overeating dulled my senses. I was eating all I wanted to get to a state of fullness, but I was sacrificing the full enjoyment of my food to do it. I had forgotten how delicious an apple can be or how amazing chocolate really is when you only get a tiny little square of it. Ha Ha.

I don't know what point I'm trying to make here, but I really am enjoying how good everything is tasting to me and how grateful I am for the food God gives us. I didn't realize how much I was taking it for granted.

The Correct Way to Weigh Yourself

Now I know why I never like the number on the scale!

All these years I've been weighing myself incorrectly.

Here's how it is supposed to be done!

Forced Rest

The 5K I ran last week was so wonderful. I wrote a devotion about it that you can read here if you are interested. I couldn't have asked for better weather or a greater sense of accomplishment. I felt strong and joyful and loved running through the parks and by the river. I've got the race bug now and can't wait to do another one.

Unfortunately, that's going to be awhile. On Wednesday, I had a minor surgery that I'm recovering from now. It will be 14 days before I can lift anything over 10 pounds and six weeks before I can get back to my exercise routine. I knew this surgery was coming when I started the P90X program, but I decided to start anyway. I plan to restart the program again after 6 weeks, but in the meantime, I'm a partial invalid.

My plan is to really focus on diet over these next 6 weeks. I'd like to try to lose some more fat and walk as much as I'm able. Then when I restart, it will be easier to see my progress.

It's the running that I miss the most. I'm surprised by how much I've grown to love running. It is such a thing of freedom for me. I don't even like to listen to music anymore. It is my escape time to pray and think and be completely alone with no one needing me. I can't wait to get back to it.

My next goal is to lose 20 pounds by August 14th, my baby's first birthday, and to run in a 5 mile race in September. I'm hoping that all the work I've already done will help to speed up recovery during this time of forced rest.

While I'm down, does anyone have prayer requests I can be praying about for you?
Also, I'd like to include some more fitness blogs on my sidebar. Let me know if you are a "fellow climber" and would be willing to share your blog with me.

Have a great weekend!

5K Today

Today is my 5K race!

I'm nervous and excited. I was so excited, I couldn't fall asleep last night until midnight and then I was wide awake at 5:30 this morning.

I picked up my number and timing chip last night. It was humbling to see the "real" runners who were picking up packets for the 1/2 marathon and marathon races.

I think I'm ready. My goal is to run it in under 30 minutes.

OK...I'm off!

Learning More Lessons as I Keep Going

I've been so busy working out with my new P90X program, I haven't had time to blog about it. : )

This has been an interesting three weeks. The new program is a lot of fun and I can already feel my body changing shape. The problem is the scale isn't changing and that has been so discouraging for me.

I should be happy that my jeans are getting looser and looser, and that I've had some compliments, but insecurity and frustration moved in instead. My husband had a promotion ceremony at work this week, and they took pictures of our family. I was so disappointed when I saw the pictures. I felt pretty and skinny in my new dress. Then I saw the pictures and saw I still have a long way to go. The picture was so different than the picture in my head. It was discouraging.

It has been a time of more lessons to learn. I keep repeating this over and over again, but I want this to be long-term change, so I have to be aware of the ah-ha moments along the way.

Here's some:

1. Working out is not an excuse to overeat. I still need to be disciplined, especially during the trying to lose weight phase. I'm really good at maintaining because I instinctively make up for the calorie deficit.

2. This is a process and WILL TAKE TIME! I want to be fit and perfect NOW!!!! If it is going to be lasting, it won't happen overnight. This blog post by Tracie Miles was so helpful to me this week. There will continue to be victories and setbacks. I'm not going to be "magically" cured from my weight battle. It will be a life long effort, and I need to accept that, to persevere and keep moving forward.

3. I need to be aware when I experience success. Whenever I start becoming successful, self-sabotage creeps in to undermine my efforts. I get overconfident.

4. I need to enjoy the progress I've made and quit always living for a future me. My sense of worth and value can't be measured by my perception of my outward beauty. I want so much to be beautiful, but real beauty will come when Jesus shines out of me. There's is nothing wrong with trying to lose weight and to take care of this body, but my worth is not equal to my appearance or the number on the scale.

I'm getting excited for my 5K race on Saturday. I've been doing the Couch to 5K plan and can now run for 30 minutes without stopping. It is my favorite form of exercise right now. It feels so good to have come so far- going from running for 60 seconds to running 30 minutes.

I'm nursing a really sore back, so I'm praying it will heal before Saturday morning. I'll let you know how the race goes. Thanks to all of you who are cheering me on. It means so much to me.

Last P90X Workout of Week One

I just finished my last workout of the week. Tomorrow is a rest day and then I will have completed my first week of P90X.

I LOVE IT!!! It is fun, tough, and humbling, but I feel great.

I'm still not sure about how I'm doing with my eating. The exercise alone has been a huge time commitment for me, so I haven't had the time to focus on the food yet. I think I'm doing OK though.

I'll weigh in on Wednesday morning and share my progress report then.

If you are considering doing P90X, here are a few observations I've made so far:

-It's not easy. You need to be already working out and have a basic level of fitness before you start. You might want to work up to this instead of starting here, unless you are crazy like me. : )

- Don't rely on the resistance bands. I think it is important to have weights and a pull up bar. I have the Door Gym that I bought locally. It's nice because it is portable and didn't need any hardware or drilling into my door frame.

- Pray first everyday. I have been really focused on P90X this week, and I've felt myself drifting a little spiritually. I love it but don't want it to become an obsession.

I'm so excited for Day 30 so I can compare pictures and measurements.

I'll be back on Wednesday to let you know how I did this week. I feel like I moved to the Biggest Loser ranch. : )

Three Days into P90X

Wow! I'm loving my new P90X program! It is humbling though. It is a really intense workout, but I really like a challenge.

I'm still in the learning curve phase, especially about how I should be eating. I read the nutrition guide that they provided and it confused me. Because it is a more extreme workout, they want you to be eating a lot higher calories than I am comfortable doing.

Since September, I've been eating 1200 - 1500 calories, running, and doing an occasional workout video to lose the weight, but it has been really easy for me to slip into maintenance mode. With this program, it says I should be eating around 1800 -2600 calories. That is a scary thought and just doesn't sound right. When I was watching the Biggest Loser the other night, though, Bob kept harping (get it Bob Harper, ha ha- OK I know I'm a dork) on his players to eat more, not less. I guess I just need to do some more research and experiment a little. All I'm doing right now is asking myself at every meal, "What would be good fuel for my body?" and then eating the right serving size, and not allowing myself to get full. I stop eating 3 hours before bedtime and I'm drinking a lot of water and eating more protein then usual. I've been so focused on all of this working out these past three days, I haven't had a lot of time to count calories. We'll see how it goes.

I have been really happy without how much energy I'm feeling lately. This is new for me! I've always been somewhat of a slug, but I feel really good and I'm excited about the goals I'm working toward.

My before pictures were a little depressing especially since I've worked so hard all ready that these are more like half way pictures, but it was good for me to have a starting point. I'm not quite ready to share any of them yet. Let's wait until I've made some progress then I might be a little more eager to show you the "before" shots. : )

How are you doing? Any prayer requests? Thanks so much to those of you who read this and encourage me. It means so much to me and keeps me motivated! Don't forget to leave comments.....I'm a comment junkie. : )

I'll give you a progress report soon.

My P90X Has Arrived! : )

My P90X workout system came from the UPS guy today! I've got a lot of studying to do to figure out the plan, and especially the nutrition plan, and some equipment to buy. I'm hoping to get started tomorrow afternoon.

I'm motivated, excited, and scared. : )

Here I go!

Lessons Learned and Something New I'm Trying

You know, I've found it is fun to update this blog when I'm doing really well. As you can see I haven't updated in awhile, so you can probably guess how I've been doing with weight loss goals lately. Ha Ha. : )

It hasn't been stellar. BUT it has been good for me.

From the beginning of this journey, my biggest goal has been to make lasting change. I've learned a lot about myself over the past few weeks that I think were "Ah Ha" moments that will help me a lot over the long term.

First of all, I learned that success can be dangerous for me. I was so excited to lose that first 31 pounds and to be able to mark off my first goal, but then I got lazy. It wasn't on purpose, but the month of April has been a maintenance month instead of a losing month. As I continue to succeed and to reach goals, I need to be on guard for this tendency.

The other thing I've discovered is the food issue is way harder for me than making myself exercise. The more I'm getting into shape, the easier it is to push myself to workout. I really want to do it now. Not always, but in general I'm excited to get out for my runs. But limiting my eating is much harder. I was talking to my mom about it and she said, "Yeah, it is so much easier to make myself do something (exercise) than it is to keep myself from doing something (overeating)."

Self-discipline just isn't easy and denying appetite is really hard. Eating right is the key to my success here, though. The exercise is going great right now, but I still haven't lost any weight. Exercise alone just isn't enough.

OK, third thing I've figured out. Weight loss is not permanent. In the past, I always thought if I could just get to my goal everything will be wonderful, and I will be skinny for the rest of my life. The problem is it is so easy to regain the weight. I don't want to be fearful of this- that will just lead to gaining it faster, but I do want to be prepared to live a maintenance lifestyle.

Over Easter, I noticed I was gaining weight back. This scared me, so I re-focused and lost the weight I gained over again. When I do reach my ultimate goal and am ready for maintenance, I'm going to keep going like I'm going, with treats occasionally, enjoying life, but I have to be watchful (not obsessive) and say I will never gain back more than 3 pounds before I work to take it off again. Three pounds will be easier to take off and less discouraging than being surprised when I'm all of a sudden 20 pounds heavier again.

So, I haven't lost any weight in April yet. I haven't gained any either. I have gained some valuable insight so that is a good thing. And I think the rest has been good for me, too.

Also, I HAVE A CONFESSION TO MAKE! After a year of wanting to do it, I finally gave into the infomercial and ordered the P90X program from beachbody.com

I am so impatient for it to get here. It promises to get me "ripped in 90 days." We'll see!

My First Goal Accomplished

I weighed in this morning and was so happy to see I lost 1.9 pounds. Using a scale that is so precise works to my benefit on those weeks when I can celebrate a point something loss, but this time I would have liked to be able to say I lost 2 pounds, but I couldn't get that .1 to budge for me. Ha Ha.

This loss was significant because it meant I reached two goals! My first goal was to lose 31 lbs. by March 31st. I'm a few days late, but I've officially lost 31.3 lbs. The reason I wanted to lose 31 lbs. was because it meant I had broken into a new "decade" on the scale. Sorry, but I'm not willing to be so transparent that I tell you the actual number on the scale, but I now weigh ##8.7

I'm feeling so thankful! I was starting to slip with my eating. It was easy to grab a little handful of this or nibble on that and pretend like it doesn't count. I had to regroup this weekend and recommit. It paid off! : )

The beautiful spring weather we are having is really helping in the motivation department!

One goal down, four more to go!!!

Goals:
Run 5K race on May 16th
Run 5 mile race in September
Lose 50 pounds by August 14th
Lose 60 pounds by Christmas and then I celebrate!!!

Here's my current stats:
Pounds lost this week: - 1.9 lbs.
Total Pounds so far: - 31.3 lbs.Yippee!

Thanks for all of the encouragement! If you are writing a fitness blog of your own, let me know so I can add you to my "Fellow Climbers" section on the sidebar.

Temptation

I'm feeling particularly tempted to eat tonight. The sugar free gum just isn't cutting it right now, so I thought journaling might keep me from giving in and keep me out of the kitchen. I need to do the dishes, but I'm afraid if I even walk in there it will all be over. : )

I have another temptation to admit: I WANT TO GIVE INTO AN INFOMERCIAL. : )

Since August, I can't count how many times I've been nursing my baby and ended up watching an infomercial for P90X- a workout program from Beachbody. I've usually got a lot of self-control when it comes to infomercials, they really don't tempt me all that much, and we live by a pretty tight, cash only budget, so I'm not an impulse buyer. But there is something about this one that makes me want to give it a try. I've been thinking about it for months.

Then I found out that a friend of mine did buy it. I saw her at church this weekend and WOW! SHE LOOKED SO GOOD! I've been researching ways to get it cheaper online than from ordering it from the company. I don't know....I might have to save up for it and give it a shot.

So, this was a really random post, huh? It worked though. I think I'm feeling a little more self-control and can skip the night snack I thought I just had to have. I might even try going into the danger zone to get a few dishes done now. : )

How Far Did I Go?

I lost one pound this week. Well, actually .8, but I'm rounding up. I stepped on the scale three times trying to get it to give me the .2 to make a full pound, but the scale wasn't cooperating. Oh well- a loss is a loss, and I'm just glad to see my weight-loss chart going down every week. I'm on a roll and it feels so good.

One of my prayer requests lately has been, "Lord, please re-teach me how to eat." I watch my kids eat. They'll walk away from desert if they are "done." I knew my portion sizes and brain didn't remember what was right and normal any more, so I need to be re-taught by my body's Designer. He has been so faithful in answering that prayer. I feel like I'm understanding myself better, have a good idea of how much food I really need, and am still enjoying some treats, too. I want this weight-loss this time to be permanent and the internal changes to be lasting. That's why I'm going to the Source- My Maker. : )

I wanted to share a great website called www.mapmyrun.com You can chart your walks or runs on their and it will calculate the distance. I love it! I used to have to try to measure it with my car to see how far I'd gone. I have fun plotting new routes and upping my distance. There is also a www.mapmyride.com for bike riders.

OK...Here's my current stats:

Pounds lost this week: - .8 lbs.
Pounds lost in March: - 7.4 lbs.
Total Pounds so far: - 29.4 lbs.
Yippee!

Goals:
Run 5K race on May 16th
Run 5 mile race in September
Lose 50 pounds by August 14th
Lose 60 pounds by Christmas and that's as far as I want to go. : )

My Cheap Home Gym and Celebrating a Great Week!

After only losing 2/10 of a pound last week, I'm celebrating a great loss this week. I was so excited to weigh in on Monday morning and see that I had lost 3 1/2 pounds!

A lot of things went right this past week.
My sore hip and knee felt better, so I was able to fit my Couch to 5K workout back in
I bought new running shoes (on sale of course) and that was a great motivator
My eating choices were really good without having to take a lot of time to think about it. I just focused on the right portions and didn't eat after dinner other than a lot of sugar free gum. It is going to take Costco size boxes of gum to break my night time munchie habit but its working.

I went to the Mall last week to pick up my new shoes and I had to walk through Dillards. Just the smell and seeing all the cute spring clothes and shoes made me want to work even harder. I want shopping and dressing to be fun again. That was another great motivator.

But I know the real secret to my success is my mom is behind the scenes praying for me. Thanks, Mom!

I promised I'd tell you about how I'm getting creative and building my own home gym. Here's what I'm doing to exercise without a gym membership:

I've already told you about:
- Couch to 5K Plan
- Free Watch Instantly Netflix workout videos (especially Pilates for core strength)

But for weight training I'm using:
- Resistance bands from Wal-Mart
- And my newest purchase is Gold's Gym Home Gym System and DVD also from Wal-Mart.

I wasn't sure about the Home Gym at first. I thought it didn't have enough resistance, but I figured out you can add as many as four bands to one handle. It will be awhile before I'm too strong for this and it fits so neatly on the back of my bedroom closet door. The DVD is a little boring and slow, but I won't need to use it for long once I figure out how to do the exercises correctly on my own.

I just walked in the door from my jog. I love the runner's high. : ) I'm so excited and hopeful about this progress. My short-term goal is to reach 31 pounds lost by March 31st and 50 pounds lost by August 14th- my baby's first birthday. Here's how I'm doing so far:

Pounds lost this week: - 3.5
Total Pounds so far: - 28.6
Goals:

• Run 5K race on May 16th
• Run 5 mile race in September
• Lose 31 pounds by March 31st
• Lose 50 pounds by August 14th
• Lose 60 pounds by Christmas and that's as far as I want to go. : )

I'll Take What I Can Get I Guess

Drum roll please...

I lost a whopping 2/10 of a pound this week! I'll take what I can get I guess, and if I'm perfectly honest, this wasn't a stellar week. I nursed my sore hip and knee all week and then ended up with a cold, so my exercise wasn't what I wanted it to be. I'm thankful for any loss and no gain. I'm such a tortoise in this race. But the tortoise won the race, right?

I had a good day today food wise. I'm writing this post and chomping on sugarless gum to keep myself from blowing it at the last minute. Most people I know don't eat when they are sick. That rarely happens to me. When I don't feel good, especially with colds, food feels good.

I just want to get to my goal so badly though, so I've stocked up on the sugar free gum from Costco and that's my snack tonight.

Here's hoping for a better weigh-in next Monday! : )

I'm so ready for some new clothes, too. I don't want to invest in clothes that will be too big soon, but I also want to feel good along the way. I'll have to do some bargain hunting and figure out how to actually make it out of the house with sick kids and my baby's nap schedule. I wish I could Internet shop for clothes! Anyone want to be my personal shopper? I don't pay very well. : )

I still want to do a post on how I'm trying to build a home gym with little money and some creativity. Netflix Watch Instantly movies are still my life saver right now. It is supposed to be 60 degrees this week. Perfect running weather! As soon as I get some new shoes, I'm hitting the asphalt again.

Hope all is going well for my fellow climbers out there!

: )

Progress and Setbacks

Yippee! I'm officially at the HALFWAY mark!!! Last week, when I said I was about halfway there, I was rounding up for my benefit. : ) I lost three pounds this week which is exactly 25 pounds lost since September. I'm doing it slowly, but I really feel like I'm doing it right and that it will stay off this time.

I've reset my deadline to reach my goal by August 14th. That will be my baby's first birthday. I felt like a year after childbirth was a realistic goal for losing 50 pounds. I hope to be there sooner than that, though. Every time I look at this sweet face, I know he was worth all the effort I'm putting into recovering from pregnancy weight-gain. Isn't he cute??? (I'm a biased mama)




I have been enjoying my Couch to 5K running plan so much but have had some owies I'm dealing with. I tried to run through them yesterday, but I think that was a bad idea. It just made things worse. So, as bummed as I am to say it, this is going to be a rest from running week.

The pain is in my left hip and the inside tendon of my left knee. I really feel it when I walk up stairs. So here's my plan for getting better:

- Foam Rolling: This is something my trainer taught me to do for recovery after workouts. It is awesome! It burn when you are rolling out the tight spots, but it is so worth it for how much better you feel and move after you are done. Here's a video to show you what I mean.:








There are lots of YouTube videos and articles online that explain Foam Rolling if you want to check it out more. Matt always told me Work + Rest = Success, so this is a part of my resting and hopefully recovery from these owies.

- Buying new running shoes. The shoes I've been wearing are four years old and need to be replaced.

- Taking the week off of running. The race is May 16th, so one week off won't hurt my progress too much.

- Sticking to my eating plan. This is the most important thing for me. Exercise alone doesn't do it for me and without running, I'm going to need to be focused.

- Continue with my strength training and Pilates.

I'm really excited about the changes that are happening in my body. I'm feeling stronger again and it reminds me of how I felt when I was working out with Matt two years ago. I really, really miss having a coach. I got to work with the best, so I'm trying to remember everything he taught me. I don't have a gym membership right now, so I've had to be creative, but it's working. I think I'll talk about that in my next post.

Here's my stats:

Weight Lost so Far: - 25 lbs.

Weight to go: 25 lbs.

Goals:

• Run a 5K race on May 16th
• Lose 50 lbs. before August 14th.

If you have any tips for getting over hip and knee pain, let me know. : )

Excited About Races

In my last post I mentioned that I am training for a 5K race by doing the "Couch to 5K" running plan. Just today I found the race I want to run. It's on May 16th. It is so neat how excited I feel to have a real race to look forward to. It is very motivating.

If that race goes well, I think I might consider training for a beginner's triathlon they are having here on August 6th. I would DEFINITELY qualify as a beginner. It sounds kind of scary but fun, too.

I also started a new eating plan today. My mom belongs to Curves and loaned me her book. I was intrigued by their eating plan and decided to give it a try. It is a 30-day cycle, 3- phase diet. Phase 1 goes for 1 week of 1200 calories and higher protein, Phase 2 goes for the rest of the month and is 1500 calories, and then you do a 3rd maintenance phase for 2-4 weeks to give your metabolism a rest before you start the dieting cycle over again. I like the idea of this being slow and easy on my metabolism. I've got a slow one anyway and been a life-long dieter. I'm excited to see how this goes for me. I'll let you know.

I'm creeping toward my 50 lb. goal. I'm approximately 1/2 way there. I wanted to be there by the end of this month, but I'm seeing that is pretty unrealistic. I don't want to do this too fast and gain it back again. My new goal is to be there by summer.

For exercise, I'm doing the Couch to 5K plan three days a week and filling in the rest of the time with videos from Netflix. My favorites are the ones by Ellen Barrett. I love the Pick Your Level Weight-loss Pilate's and even though it is really cheesy, I do like Jillian Michael's Cardio Kickbox. I'm also doing the Bikini Ready Fast but don't worry, I was only teasing about running my 5K in a bikini. The world is not ready for that yet, and neither am I. Ha Ha!!

From Couch to 5K

In the past, every time I've decided to start running, I go gung-ho and end up with a back injury that keeps me from reaching my goals. There is something about spring weather that makes me want to get out in it, so I started feeling antsy to start running again.

My friends are training for a half marathon, and I've been so inspired by their efforts. My first thought was to find a training program for that, but I knew that would be too much, too soon. So instead I decided to start really slowly and build my strength so I don't hurt myself again.

I found a training plan on-line called "From Couch to 5K." I love it! You only run three days a week, which is doable with my schedule, and it starts out really easy. It makes me feel like I can do this even though I've got so far to go to be in the shape I want to be. Starting slow like this is building confidence and doesn't overwhelm me.

I've got this weird thing about starting new diets or exercise plans. I panic and think, "I have to KEEP doing this." For some reason I feel confident with this plan and not afraid of taking it on. There is a local 5K race later in the spring that I'm excited about trying.

I was laughing because I've combined this running plan with the Netflix videos I'm doing on-line. One of my favorites is Self Magazine's Bikini Ready Fast workout. I was laughing as I thought that according to the promises of these two workout plans, I should be able to run three miles, in a bikini, within two months. Ha Ha! Watch out world....here comes Becky! : )

Works For Me Wednesday- Free Workout Videos

We are members of Netflix, and I just made a great discovery on their website. They have a feature called "Watch Instantly" where you can watch movies on your computer, and I found WORKOUT VIDEOS!! All of the "Watch Instantly" movies are free, and you can choose from seven pages of workout videos that include weight training, dance, Pilate's, kickboxing, etc. When you find the one you want to do, you just click "Play" and watch it from your computer. I just finished doing Self Magazine's Bikini Ready Fast workout. I really liked it even if I'm sceptical I'll ever be bikini ready. : )

I'm fortunate to have our big screen TV hooked up to a personal computer, so I can workout from there in the Family Room, but I've also put my laptop on top of our dresser and worked out in my bedroom.

The movies are older (approx. 2005 - 2006 range and older), but I like it because I get easily bored with a workout video, and I don't have to buy or rent these.

Works For Me! : )

This is the first WFMW I've done on my fitness blog. Welcome! If you'd like to see some of my other WFMW posts on my personal blog, Everyday Becky, you can click here.

Make sure you head back to Rocks in my Dryer for more tips.

Brainwashing : )

I've been a fan of Biggest Loser for awhile, but I always laugh when they have that cheesy moment when you know it is a commercial. Jillian or Bob will suddenly start talking to the contestants about the benefits of Cheerios or how they can make a 10 calorie sugar free Jello snack. I often wondered how much Jello or Cheerios or Jenni-O Turkey have to pay for their little plug.

But this time, one of the commercials actually worked on me. They kept talking about how chewing Extra Sugar Free gum would help you get through the three o'clock snack time. The other day I was waiting in line at Wal-Mart and there staring me in the face was a display of Extra Sugar Free gum. My first thought was, "Jillian likes peppermint." : )

So in a trance, I bought myself a pack. The crazy thing is, it is working! I can't believe how much help it is for me to chew the gum when I want to eat. It's my new secret weapon. : )

So here's my progress report:

- 22 pounds so far, 28 to go. Almost 1/2 way there. : )

Focusing On the Prize

It feels good to be back at it. Dieting is painful and hard, but doing it feels good, too. It's like I've woken up and feel less dull. I don't know if that makes any sense at all. I guess when you are getting exercise and not overeating it does wake you up. I'm excited about getting to my goal and enjoying spring and summer in shape.

That reminds me of a quote I heard on the Dave Ramsey radio show last night:

Failures want pleasing methods, but successes want pleasing results

He meant it to apply to financial discipline, but I think it fits exactly with my fitness goals. I keep wishing I could make this easy but easy does not produce the results I want.

I'm still trying to figure out the proper calorie amount for a nursing mom who wants to lose weight. When I'm not nursing, 1200 is right for me to lose about 1.5 pounds a week. The websites I've read say 1500 -1800 for a breastfeeding mom, but that seems high. Guess I just need to keep experimenting to find the right number. I feel like I'm losing weight but our scale is broken so I'm not sure yet. I'll do a progress report on here as soon as I replace it.

So today I am going to focus on the results so I can remember why I'm telling myself no to the over indulgences. There is an old Weight Watchers saying that fits, too:

Nothing Tastes as Good as Thin Feels

My Mii is Chubby!

Well, I'm finally back on here. I did not mean for so many weeks to go by before I wrote again, but Christmas threw me for a loop!

We had a great trip, but all of the driving and being gone for 10 days was tough on our baby and he forgot how to sleep. The sleep deprivation just about killed me, and it took all this time to reteach him. He's sleeping like a champ again, and I feel ready to take on this fitness challenge again.

I haven't lost weight since Thanksgiving, but not gaining any over Christmas was a small victory for me.

I've wanted to get back at this for awhile, but honestly I have been fighting myself to make the commitment. Even this morning I had to fight to eat the right breakfast. I wanted to quit before I even began. I was like a little kid throwing a tantrum. "But I don't want to go on a diet!!!!!!" This is not going to be easy!

I've heard it said before that you won't change until it gets too painful to stay where you are. It just sucks to be overweight. I'm tired of not fitting into anything. I'm tired of feeling tired. I'm tired of being embarrassed about it and afraid I'm going to run into someone from my past and have them see the pregnancy chubbiness.

But it was the Mii that finally did it for me. : ) If you don't know what a Mii is let me explain-

My girls have been saving up to buy a Nintendo Wii for almost a year now. I'm so proud of them for this lesson in delayed gratification. They finally got there and Daddy set it all up for them yesterday. We all gathered in the Family Room to make our Mii. A Mii is a little cartoon figure of yourself that you get to customize. You pick all the features- face shape, hair color, eyes, shirt color, etc. I was holding the baby, so my husband was making mine for me. When you finish making your Mii, you can make it as tall or short, or skinny or fat as you want. As, I watched my husband, HE MADE MY MII CHUBBY!!!

When I protested, he said, "What? I made my own chubby, too. If I'm chubby, you have to be, too!"

Some people get their wake-up call from a photograph or clothes that won't fit. I'm going to lose weight so the virtual me on Wii can get skinnier, too!!! : )

Here I go! It's going to hurt, but it will be worth it. : )