Down two pounds!

Well, the gym is working! I'm down two pounds this week. Woo Hoo! Jilli and I went three times last week. We didn't get to go over the weekend, but we plan to go at least three times this week.

I've been working hard on cutting out the sweets and I've been trying to eat more protein with each meal. I bought some of the Special K Protein water and I've been drinking that with my meals because I'm not the best at planning protein in with my food.

There are 62 days till our cruise! I'd really like to lose 10 pounds, but 15 would be fantastic! I've got two months to do it, so I should be able to. But it's going to take work and commitment.

Working in the gym....

My daughter Jillian is trying out for the volleyball team. She really, really wants to make it this year, but they have 60 girls trying out for 30 spots, so half the girls won't make it. Jillian has always been a petite girl, but has grown several inches in the past two years, so now she's all legs and arms! lol!

So, she decided that she wanted to start working out to build up her stamina. We have a local Community Center with a really nice gym, so she and I have been going several days a week. I enjoy the treadmill more than anything else, but I also like the stationary bike. Jillian likes the treadmill too but also likes to work out on the weight machines as well.

There are a lot of men and women that come in while we are there... most of them are in very good shape. I can't help but wonder if they use some sort of supplement when they work out... I've heard of being able to purchase cheap supplements online through a company in Australia. They carry Redbak products which are supposed to be the best protein products in Australia.

Jillian finds out Monday after practice if she makes the team or not, so she really worked out hard today, and wants us to go back tomorrow too. If she makes it, she'll have practice every single night after school, or a game, so she'll definitely be in great shape by the end of the season! If she doesn't, she still plans to go to the gym often, so that she's in better shape next year....

I'm very proud of her, either way!

Biggest Loser...

Everyone is having a Biggest Loser challenge...

The High School/Middle School in our town is offering a 9 week program for the kids who'd like to participate in a Biggest Loser Challenge! Becca has signed up for it as she still wants to lose at least 20 more pounds.

The high school gym teacher is in charge of this program. The kids all weighed in last Tuesday (over 50 kids participated!) and she gave them information on weight loss programs and exercise programs. She is taking each week's school menu and converting it to the Weight Watchers Points System, so that the kids can track what they eat. The gym and weight room will be open during lunch and after school for extended hours so that the kids can exercise and work out.

Becca stayed a couple nights last week to either work out in the weight room or do laps in the gym with a couple of her friends.

I hope that the gym teacher extends this for the last nine weeks of school as well. She will monitor their weight loss and encourage them to lose weight in a healthy way.

I think this program is fantastic! Kudos to the teacher!

52 Ways to Lose a Pound a Week

Here is a great article from Prevention.com.

You can lose weight and keep it off forever. How can I be so sure? Besides mountains of research from leading experts, there are thousands of Prevention readers who have successfully done it. Over the years, their letters and e-mails have been filled with practical tips, as well as the pride and pleasure of people who feel great about themselves. They can run, jump, play on the floor with the kids, wear sexy clothes--newly empowered to do whatever they want.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Day Four!

Yes, I've made it four days with the Slim in 6! I'm not doing too bad today, but boy was I sore yesterday! I could barely walk... Mostly it was my butt and thighs. There are a lot of lunges and squats, so I'm sure that was what did it. I had quilting class last night and I'm piecing together a quilt, so I was up and down in my seat a lot and felt like a little old lady!

I was very tempted not to get up this morning and exercise, but I knew that if I continued, I'd feel better in the long run ... and I was right. I have so much more energy when I exercise! I can notice a huge difference in my energy level throughout the whole day. In the evenings, I'm getting more done, and I'm sleeping better too, just after 4 days. The scales are showing that I'm down about 1 1/2 pounds since this weekend... but I must confess that I was very bad with my eating over the weekend when we went camping ... so when I weigh in on Thursday at my TOPS meeting, I'm not sure if I'll show a loss even with all the exercise.

But, I'm going to keep it up! I get to switch to the next section this weekend and I'm anxious to see how much harder it is... I hope it's not too hard! lol!

I did it!

I actually got up this morning at 6:30 a.m. and did the Slim in 6 dvd!!!! Woo Hoo! I'm so proud of myself! You have no idea how tempting it was to just hit that snooze button and roll back over. But I didn't. I got up and did the dvd, then got my shower.

I am determined to do it every morning this week. In the evenings, 3 days a week, I'll be doing the Strength Circuit training that I wrote about on July 13th. I also want to try to go for a walk every day this week at work. I walked one day last week and felt like I had gone for quite a while, so I measured it with my car after work and it was 1.2 miles. Not too bad. I try to walk briskly. But if I can do that a couple times during the week, in addition to the Slim in 6 in the mornings and the Strength training in the evenings, I should do pretty well in getting toned up!

Wish me luck in sticking to it!

Slim in 6. . .

Well, I did the first Slim in 6 dvd tonight for the first time. Becca ordered them last week and has done it twice so far, but she did it when I was at work, so I couldn't do it with her. So, tonight we got home from camping for the weekend, and we did it together in the living room. I made it! lol!

It wasn't too bad. lol! Seriously, I did make it without too much trouble. My arms are very tired. I'm not used to using them that much! But that's what I need, to tighten up my underarms. They also do a lot of lunges, which will help tighten up my thighs, my other problem area! So this dvd is definitely going to be a good one for me.

So, I'm supposed to do this same dvd for 7 days straight, then I get to move up to the next level. I'm honestly going to try as hard as I can to keep up with it this week every day. My goal is going to be to get up at 6:30 a.m. and work out for 30 minutes before I have to get in the shower and get ready for work. I really want to try my best to do that every day.

Less than 3 weeks until we go to the beach and I'd really like to drop7 pounds by then... I really hope I can do it! These last few pounds have really been tough... I've been stuck between 142 and 145 for almost 3 months now. My goal weight is 135 and I'm at 142 right now, so I only need to lose 7 to get to my goal weight! But, I also really need to tone up.

So, that is what I'm going to work towards! I'll report my progress here!

Ten Healthiest 100 Calorie Snacks

Found these great snack ideas over at Yahoo Food. Give them a try next time you're looking for a snack!

Snack Smackdown: The 10 Healthiest 100-Calorie Treats

Those 100-calorie snack packs are tasty, convenient, and perfectly portioned for calorie counters. And they're selling like iPhones on opening day. But what's nutritious about a handful of Cheese Nips or Oreo Thins (even with no creamy centers to lick!)? Instead, try these 10 far healthier 100-calorie treats. Stash them in your desk drawer, fridge, and/or car -- wherever hunger pangs hit you. The best part: Most will curb your appetite for hours because they're high in filling fiber or satisfying protein.

1. Mid-Morning Fill-Up Just add hot water to a 100-calorie packet of McCann's Instant Cinnamon Roll Irish Oatmeal, which smells ahh-mazing and comes sweetened with Splenda. No doughnut guilt and there's a bonus: 3 grams of filling, cholesterol-fighting oat fiber.

2. Peanut Butter Crackers Make sandwiches out of 6 All Bran Multi-Grain Crackers (45 deliciously crunchy calories) and 1½ teaspoons peanut butter (45 smooth calories). You'll get about 2 grams of fiber and a little healthy fat.

3. Apple Mousse Mix a cup of unsweetened applesauce (50 calories) with 3 tablespoons of fat-free nondairy topping (45 calories), and ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon. Make a batch at a time and refrigerate in portable snack cups. Supplies 20% of your daily vitamin C and counts as 1 serving of fruit. Sweet.

4. Veggies and Dip Flavor up ready-to-eat veggies from the produce section -- which have almost no calories -- with a dip: 2 tablespoons of hummus (60 calories) or light ranch dressing (80 calories). For the veggies, think broccoli and cauliflower florets, baby carrots, snap peas, pepper strips, baby squash -- all of them filled with fiber, vitamins, and protective phytonutrients.

5. Café Mocha Stir a packet of Swiss Miss No-Sugar-Added Hot Chocolate mix (60 calories) into hot coffee for an instant afternoon pick-me-up that only tastes decadent. It actually delivers 30% of your calcium, 6% of your iron, and even a gram of fiber. Add a splash of milk for more goodness. Compare that to 200 calories for the smallest Caffe Mocha at Starbucks (2% milk, no whip), with 6g of fat.

6. Mexican Potato Microwave a medium potato and slice in half (80 calories). Save one piece for tomorrow. Mash the other half inside the potato skin and top it with 2 tablespoons of salsa (10 calories). Eat the whole thing, skin too. Warm-spicy-satisfying and 2 grams each of protein and fiber, some vitamin C, plus a little iron.

7. Finger Food Munch edamame like nuts: ½ cup of these quick-cooked frozen soybeans (about 95 calories) makes a great nibble, which is why they're a staple at hip bars -- which probably don't care that they're serving you 8 grams of protein, 4g of fiber, and lots of minerals.

8. Snack on a Mini-Meal When you're starving but trying to hold back, try this: Wrap a Morningstar Farms Vegan Burger (100 calories), a tomato slice, hamburger pickles, and a little mustard or ketchup in lettuce leaves instead of bread. The 10g of protein will keep you filled till it's really mealtime.

9. Happy Hour Combo Mix 1/2 cup of tomato juice (22 calories) with ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce, 2 drops of Tabasco sauce, and a dash of lemon juice. Serve over ice with a celery stick and about a dozen dry roasted peanuts (about 60 calories). Have a second "drink" if you like -- no biggie!

10. Healthy Confetti Crisps If chips are your downfall, make a batch of these RealAge crisps and divide into 6 portions (95 calories each). Much through a bag while sipping your club soda and lime. If you remember to, enjoy the good fat from the olive oil and the fiber and vitamins in the veggies -- though these taste so good you may forget they're healthy.

REALAGE CONFETTI CRISPS
6 servings, 95 calories each

2 Tbsps. olive oil
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. dried dill weed
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 cup each of peeled and thinly sliced purple potatoes, carrots, and parsnips

Mix the oil and seasonings together, add the vegetables, and toss to coat. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet lightly sprayed with olive oil. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown.

Smoking and Weight Loss

I'm not a smoker and never have been. But I have some friends who have run into the problem of gaining weight once they have quit smoking. I found this great article over at Calories per hour that may help if you're trying to kick the habit and are afraid you'll gain weight.

I thought this was a good ad :)

Smoking and Weight Loss

Heavy smokers and people who have smoked for a long time often gain a few pounds after they quit smoking. Unfortunately, smokers often use this fact to justify continuing to smoke. But this weight gain isn't inevitable.

Weight gain can be avoided by eating less and/or exercising more. And if you're making poor food choices now, simply eating healthier foods can do the trick.

Here are some of the reasons why quitting smoking causes people to gain weight:

• Smoking increases your metabolism, the rate at which you burn calories. So quitting smoking will cause your metabolism to decrease a little to its normal rate.

• People who quit smoking are inclined to eat more because they reach for snacks as a substitute for cigarettes.

• People who quit smoking are inclined to eat more because food tastes better!

Quitting smoking is difficult enough without the fear of gaining weight. The primary reason that people gain weight when they quit smoking is that they tend to eat more, and you can control that. If you can keep from turning to food in place of cigarettes, and make a few adjustments to your eating and exercise habits, you won't have to gain any weight at all.

You know that smoking is bad for you. Now read what the American Lung Association says will happen when you quit smoking:

After 20 minutes:

• Your blood pressure will decrease.
• Your heart rate will decrease.
• The temperature of your hands and feet will increase.

After 8 hours:

• The level of carbon monoxide in your blood will drop to normal.
• The level of oxygen in your blood will increase to normal.

After 24 hours:

• Your chance of heart attack will decrease.

After 48 hours:

• Your nerve endings will start to regrow.
• Your ability to smell and taste will improve.

After 2 weeks to 3 months:

• Your circulation will improve.
• Your lung function will improve.
• Aerobic activity (e.g., walking) will become easier.

After 1 to 9 months:

• Symptoms including coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath will decrease.

After 1 year:

• Excess risk of coronary heart disease will decrease to half that of a smoker.

After 5 to 15 years:

• Risk of stroke will decrease to that of people who have never smoked.

After 10 years:

• Risk of lung cancer will decrease to half that of continuing smokers.
• Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas will decrease.
• Risk of ulcers will decrease.

After 15 years:

• Risk of coronary heart disease will decrease to that of people who have never smoked.
• Risk of death will decrease to near the level of people who have never smoked.

You don't have to gain weight if you quit smoking. And you'll be healthier, have more friends and more money, and smell better.

Why Drinking Water Is Important for Weight Loss

This is a great article from CaloriesPerHour.com that I wanted to share here on my blog. I am usually pretty good about drinking water, but some days it will suddenly dawn on me that I haven't had any! I think I might need to make a sticky to put on my computer screen to remind me to drink more!

Why Drinking Water Is Important for Weight Loss

There are many reasons why it is important to drink water, especially if you are dieting:

• Initial weight loss is largely due to loss of water, and you need to drink an adequate amount of water in order to avoid dehydration.

• The process of burning calories requires an adequate supply of water in order to function efficiently; dehydration slows down the fat-burning process.

• Burning calories creates toxins (think of the exhaust coming out of your car), and water plays a vital role in flushing them out of your body.

• Dehydration causes a reduction in blood volume; a reduction in blood volume causes a reduction in the supply of oxygen to your muscles; and a reduction in the supply of oxygen to your muscles can make you feel tired.

• Water helps maintain muscle tone by assisting muscles in their ability to contract, and it lubricates your joints. Proper hydration can help reduce muscle and joint soreness when exercising.

• A healthy (weight loss) diet includes a good amount of fiber. But while fiber is normally helpful to your digestive system, without adequate fluids it can cause constipation instead of helping to eliminate it.

• Drinking water with a meal may make you feel full sooner and therefore satisfied eating less. Note, however, that drinking water alone may not have this effect. In order to feel satiated (not hungry), our bodies need bulk, calories and nutrients.

How Much Water Should I Drink?

You have probably heard that you should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. How much water you actually need depends on your weight, level of activity, the temperature and humidity of your environment, and your diet. Your diet makes a difference because if you eat plenty of water-dense foods like fruits and vegetables your need to drink water will be diminished.

You can do some research and use a calculator and measuring cup if you like, but nature's pretty good at letting you know the right amount to drink. When you drink enough water, your urine will usually be pale yellow, though vitamin supplements and antibiotics can discolor it. On the other hand, you shouldn't need to run to the bathroom too frequently. When in doubt, drink a little more.

Do not worry that drinking water will give your body a bloated look. There are a number of causes of water retention, including consuming too much salt. But drinking water is not one of them.

It is possible to harm yourself by drinking too much water, but it takes quite an effort. Either through obsessive-compulsive behavior or extended athletic activity, drinking large amounts of water can dilute the electrolytes (sodium and potassium) in your blood to the point that it interferes with brain, heart and muscle function. Athletes compound the problem with the loss of sodium (salt) through sweating, but can drink electrolyte replacement drinks like Gatorade Endurance Formula to help keep things in balance.

Tips on Drinking Water

• Drinking other liquids also provides your body with a source of water, but note that diuretics cause your body to expel water. Diuretics include caffeinated drinks (coffee, tea and soda) and alcohol. When drinking diuretics, drink more water to compensate.

  When drinking alcohol, drinking water along with it as well as before and afterward may eliminate a hangover headache and feeling of tiredness. The water is optional; driving is not.

• When you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Try to avoid this situation by drinking in advance. Be especially careful when participating in activities where you won't be able to stop to get caught up.

• You've heard countless advertisements telling you what product to start your day with. We recommend a couple of glasses of water to rehydrate your body. No charge.

TOPS going well...

Well, our local TOPS group has been going strong for 6 months now! We have 10 ladies coming on a regular basis and most of them are doing fantastic! Our top loser has lost just over 35 pounds since February and is averaging about 7 pounds a month. She looks fantastic! I think she only has about 20 pounds to reach her goal.

I started the group in our church for both Becca and I, but unfortunately, Becca has to work every Thursday evening, so she hasn't been to a meeting in quite some time. She still continues to lose though, which is awesome! She's lost almost 20 pounds since February, so about 5 pounds a month. That's not a lot, but it sure is better than nothing!

I'm about 8 pounds away from my goal weight and I keep going up and down and up and down each week. I'm the same weight now as I was at the beginning of April.... so I've got to get my butt in gear and get serious, but not till we get back from vacation next week! lol!

If you are stuck with your weight loss, and need some encouragement, I strongly recommend seeing if there is a local TOPS group near you. It's a support group, not a weight loss plan, and it is much, much less expensive than weight watchers or other programs.

When I was looking for a TOPS group near me, the closest one was about 20 minutes from my house and to be honest, it was filled with a bunch of older women who had been going for years and were in it more for the socializing than they were for the weight loss. So I called the area coordinator and she told me that with 4 ladies, I could start my own group! So that's what I did. I found 3 other friends and we started our own group. It has now grown to 10 active ladies and we have a great time. The programs that TOPS provides for us to follow are very simple and easy.

Let me know if you're a TOPS member and how your group is doing!

Counting Calories

Along the same lines as the 100 Calorie Packs I wrote about previously, I'm always looking for quick and easy ways to keep track of the calories I eat each day. I found a great site that does the calorie counting for you! It's called My Fitness Pal.

This site offers a free calorie counter that is so simple and easy to use! And the best part is, it learns from you! We often eat the same foods over and over again, and this program remembers what you've eaten most often in the past, and makes it easy for you to add those foods to your log. The more often you track your meals, the easier it becomes!

My Fitness Pal works with any diet, whether it's Atkins, Weight Watchers, South Beach and others. They also offer messages boards that provide motivation and help 24/7. And the best part is, it's FREE!

So if you're looking for a quick and easy calorie counter, check out MyFitnessPal.com.

Weight Loss and Dieting Tips...

Last summer, after returning from a trip to Gatlinburg with my husband for our 20th Wedding Anniversary, I had our pictures developed and was shocked at what I saw.... When had I gained so much weight? And why didn't I realize it before we went on the trip so that I could look better in the pictures?

So, I made a commitment to myself to lose 35 pounds by the following summer. I figured if I took it slow and easy, it would help me keep the weight off in the long run. Fast forward 9 months, I've lost 25 pounds and I'm now only 5 pounds away from my goal weight! Woo Hoo!

I am always on the lookout for weight loss and dieting tips. I am now the Leader of our local TOPS group and love sharing things I learn with the other women there. I came across a unique site called Hidro Tips - Tips, Tricks and Tweaks which has a Health forum with many categories that are helpful to those trying to lose weight. The Diet Tips and Weight Loss Tips forums are filled with great topics with lots of tips and ideas on losing weight.

Besides the Health forum, they have many other forum categories, such as Business, Education, Technology, Entertainment, Fashion, Travel and Sports. Since I've been doing so much writing in my blogs lately, the Writing Tips forum under the Education category caught my eye as well. Hopefully that will give me some ideas on writing in my blogs!

Anyway, if you're looking for any tips, stop on over at Hidro Tips and see what you can find.

1 Million Steps

Becca and I are members of TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), a weight loss support group, at our church. We were challenged by the Area Captain in February to make a goal of taking 1,000,000 steps from the beginning of February through the end of July.

Sounds impossible, doesn't it? But actually it's not at all. It's very doable if you break it down into daily goals!

I figured there are 181 days from the beginning of February through the end of July and then divided it into 1,000,000. That meant I needed to take 5,525 steps a day to reach my goal!

I started out February averaging about 6,000 steps a day. That would help me reach my goal of a million steps, but in reality, that is not burning enough calories to help me lose any weight. So, by the end of February, I was up to averaging about 8,000 steps a day. In March, I took it up a notch. I decided my goal was to hit 10,000 steps a day as many days in March that I could. I hit that goal every single day except for 5. So for 26 days in March, I had over 10,000 steps each day!

For April, I decided to kick it up another notch! My new goal for April is to take at least 12,000 steps a day! So far, I've been averaging about 13,000 steps a day!

If I would have set a goal of taking 12,000 steps a day from the beginning of February, I would be on track to take 2 Million steps by the end of July! Unbelievable, isn't it?

How many steps do you take a day?