A lovely day

Hey folks, I hope everyone had a great first day. You guys really gotta figure out how to post on here though...
Well, I never had my perogies, or much chocolate, but I did enjoy the food at the park at Grape and Wine, and a few glasses of wine...My husband is sitting beside me right now on the couch digging into a bag of Sour Cream and Onion Lays and I almost reached in the bag and grabbed a few--oh, guess not! No loss, I'm not a chip person anyway. Although for my snack tonight I did have Blue Corn Chips, and Pace Salsa with 1/2 avocado stirred into it!
Regardless, I understand what Laurieanne is going through, however I've done a few detox's already so I'm used to having to coexist with someone who's not with the program! Last night I stayed up until 11:30pm creating my own kitchen cabinet with all my own stuff. Greatly helps when looking for something to eat!
I'll give ya'll a rundown of my day, exercise and food wise. Don't worry, I won't do this every day, but just to give you all maybe some ideas for food etc..

breakfast: plain organic yogurt w/wheat-free apple & raisin muesli and blueberries
snack: 2 kamut cakes (like rice cakes, but better) w/almond butter and sugar-free raspberry jam, small V-8.
exercise: Strollercize (1.5 hours, lunges, running, squats, strength, hills, walking)
lunch: big salad w/blueberries, walnuts, goat cheese, avocado, tomato, carrots and balsamic & Udo's oil and dijon mustard vineagrette
snack: 1 kamut cake w/almond butter and 8 raisins
dinner: Chickpea Curry w/brown rice & peas, 1 apple, a few (6) olives
snack: blue corn chips, salsa w/avocado

I also drank a lot of water! I feel good, but I just remembered I need to stretch before I go to bed. My hamstrings need a challenge of their own!

I am so happy we are all doing this and thanks for being my team! We can kick ASS! Plan on coming to the Peanut Mill this Friday evening for the tasting! We'll have quite a few really yummy things!

The end is near....

So, I didn't do as well as I thought I would this week. But I think it's because I knew it wasn't really the challenge yet. However, I tried real hard to have a good breakfast every day as I know that will be my biggest challenge. I had plain yogurt (organic!) with apple and raisin muesli (wheat and honey free) which is quite sour when you are used to having honey on it. However, I enjoyed it more and more every day which makes me quite happy. Yesterday I went all the way to the Peanut Mill to have a decaf coffee with some dark chocolate. But all in all, I have not pigged out the way I was planning to, which is good, and when I hopped on the scale tonight, I apparantly already lost 1 lb!
Oh, that's another thing. I have been entertaining the thought of NOT stepping on the scale for the entire 8 weeks, and just finding out my weight at the final weigh-in. I can see how this might help and also might be detrimental. For instance, if I expect that I lost more then I actually lose, and I end up being disappointed at the final weigh-in, that would be a disappointing end to a long, hard journey. However, if it went the other way, that might be a real high! We'll see, I might just do a mid-point weigh in like they do on that show, X-Weighted, so I can have an idea of where I'm at after 4 weeks. How much weight can one lose in just 8 weeks anyway?
I didn't end up exercising as much as I planned either, but there were many reasons for that, including a brand new baby (not mine) and my mother-in-law coming to town. But there will always be those things happening, and I have to work around them, and be organized enough to still make the time to go to workout, or go for that walk. As I said earlier, I think working out will be more of a challenge for me, then the eating. As long as I exercise 1 hour per day, I will be happy. My biggest challenge will be babysitting so we will see how that goes!

By the way, I tried the almond butter on a kamut "rice" cake last night and it was actually quite good. With some apples on the side, it made me jump up and down with glee.

Ciao,

Katie

This one is from Laurieanne:

You are SOOOO not alone:

Age:41 and 3/4
Weight: 147

Chest: 391/2
Waist: 35 1/2
Abdomen: 37 3/4
Hips: 391/2
Thighs: 221/2 & 221/2
Calves: 14 1/4 & 14 1/4
Arms: 12 & 12

# of step-ups in 90 sec: 51
# of push ups: 10
Sit and Reach: I just manged to reach my toes, only out of sheer PMS!!

from what Carlea says, it only gets better from here...all I know is, I'm going to do this if it kills me...by the way, the Soy milk just might.

--Laurieanne

From Amy and Mike:

I'm still completely clueless about this blogging thing so I'll just email for now until I figure it out...

Here's my measurements:

Date: September 22/08
Age: 32
Weight:150.4

Chest: 39
Waist: 34
Abdomen: 40
Hips: 40.5
Thighs: 24 1/4 & 24
Calves: 14 1/4 & 14
Arms: 11 3/4 & 12
# of step-ups in 90 sec: 57
# of push ups: 16 on toes
Sit and Reach: 6 inches past toes

Here's Mike's...

Date: Sept 22/08
Age:30
Weight: 188

Chest: 39 3/4
Waist: 37
Abdomen: 40
Hips: 40 1/2
Thighs: 22 & 21 1/2
Calves: 15 1/2 & 15
Arms: 12 3/4 & 12 1/2
# of step-ups in 90 sec: 68
# of push ups: 25 on toes
Sit and Reach: 2 inches past toes

So, I got super inspired today by everyone doing their exercising and eating
well so I joined the gym and took a step class. I have a lot of work to do but I felt awesome!

I'm real brave to do this by the way

Okay, I'm tired and I have to go to bed. So, I won't beat around the bush. If anyone wants to post their results too, I would only be too happy. Otherwise, I'll be the only one to bear my soul.
Date: Sept 22/08
Age:30
Weight: 170

Chest: 39
Waist: 33 1/4
Abdomen: 39 1/2
Hips: 43
Thighs: 25 & 24 3/4
Calves: 15 1/2 & 15 3/4
Arms: 13 1/2 & 13 1/2

# of step-ups in 90 sec: 54
# of push ups: 6 (um, and they were hard, too)
Sit and Reach: 6 1/2 inches FROM my toes (was not able to touch, no where close!)

So starting tomorrow I'm doing push ups and stretches religiously!!!!!!!!

mmmm...maybe not though

Just realized that since the weigh-in is tomorrow, then I might as well start trying to lose weight the minute I step off that scale, instead of stuffing my face for the next 7 days. Won't get no points for it, but the results will be that much better in 9 weeks time, then in 8 weeks time, especially if I don't pig out like I was planning too. So, my plan is to do all my grocery shopping tomorrow at The Peanut Mill and the market on Tuesday and only bring in the allowable stuff this week to fill my cupboards and fridge. I'm not going to be super-strict but neither am I going to pig out completely, as why add 10 more lbs just to have to take it off during the challenge? That could be 10 lbs that I actually LOSE....yeah, so no more. Although I will be enjoying my wine this week, especially at Grape and Wine which will be the last hurrah before the Challenge officially begins.

Good luck everyone, tomorrow, and I might even be brave enough to post the results here!

I'm eating broccoli and tuna b4 blading!!

I'm shocked (and extremely surprised, might I add!) that today my mind set seems great. Like Kate I'm ready to feel strong and powerful again! Although mind you, I drank 2 brandy Alexanders and ate half a bag of Malteesers last night but today I have had only green tea and I'm eating a little carb and protein b4 hitting the canal for a rollerblade. Shocked..I tell you...I am motivated!
Kate Maple, I'm sorry you've been the only blogger thus far but I will do my best to input once and a while.
I couldn't get the same grocery store date as you so instead I'm going Thurs at 6:30. Last night I went and bought some Stevia- the sweetner we are allowed to try in my Green Tea and I like it. I'll lend you ladies some packets if you want to try. I am not going to miss the sugar so much..it's the wine, beer, coffee and saltness stuff I love. Perogies, sushi, and Pad Thai will be my worst sadnesses I feel however I going to try and make a Pad Thai that is challenge friendly. Kate, loading your house full of goodies is a really good idea. I would love to know about some of those frozen dinner options too for the days I'm either real lazy or on the go.
Oh and the other thing..for as long as I can remember I have drank a warmed or cold glass of skim milk b4 bed. So that is going to be a huge adjustment. I do not like soy milk much...but Almond milk I like and am not a stranger to..but I will not be drinking glasses of it ;)
Gotta go blade!
Can't wait to see my pessimistic blogs in the future..heee hee!

Holy shit

Allright, this is probably going to more difficult then any of us realized. And it's not the exercise that will be hard!
However I am really looking forward to this. I have done things like this before, when I've done cleanses where I can't have any sugar/dairy/wheat so it's not something that's new to me, however I've never done it for 8 weeks before!
I am excited, as I do know that when you are used to eating that way, you really don't miss the "bad" stuff.
I am looking in my cupboards and realizing that I better just start eating it all up now, and also realizing that I can't really buy any new stuff as I am not going to want it in the house in 2 weeks. I think I am going to start collecting stuff from The Peanut Mill so I have it in the house for when the challenge starts!
I also want to pre-plan the first few weeks meals and snacks so I can have the stuff in the house, and I know what I'm going to be eating. The best thing is that I can have oatmeal for breakfast, eggs and veggie sandwiches for lunch, and fish and veggies for dinner. Hard boiled eggs, nuts, olives, fruit, veggies and hummus are all real fun too and it makes me happy to think about eating such healthy food that I actually love.
I also am realizing that I might have a few cheat days early on, since my birthday falls in the middle of October. Some wine might be in order on that day! Not to mention good food and birthday cake. Already labelled my calender "CHEAT DAY". I should probably change it to "CHEAT WEEKEND".
I am thinking I also need to plan at least 3 Sushi Jade lunches and dinners in the next 2 weeks as no sushi for the next 56 days will hurt. My only consolance is that it is fall/wintertime and sushi is more of a light, summer food so perhaps I won't miss it as much.
I also know I will struggle with portion sizes. I've never been very good at carving a chicken breast into the size of my fist.
Regardless, I hope everyone will do their best and really use these next 8 weeks to create new habits for themselves.

Signing off,

Katie Anne

please contribute!

Hey Ladies,
I added 3 of you as authors, and I need the other two's email addresses so I can add them as authors as well. Then, whoever wants to post anything can also do so, and it can be our team blog! I've never done this before but I thought it might be neat to do so.
By the way, Rachael came up with the best team name ever. She had many cool suggestions, including "Bulge Busters" and "Fat Fighters" but I went ahead and claimed "Team Losing is Everything" as our title and I hope you all don't mind. If there are any objections, please feel free to let me know!
Have to go rescue baby from the evil jumparoo...
till next time...
Kate

Let me introduce myself

I thought it might be fun to create a blog where I can share my thoughts, failures, triumphs, fears, and general tiredness and exhaustion during this challenge. I will be 31 this October and all I want is to be strong and healthy. Hopefully some weight loss occurs from me eating well and working out but I think I do best when I'm not so focused on the weight and what the scale says. However, this challenge is ultimately about numbers so I have to find a way to balance that with my desire to just be healthy, damn it. Three weeks until the official weigh-in where measurements will be taken. I am excited about the measurements. It's because I know how much I weigh (even though if I step on my scale 3 times in a row, it will give me a different number every time) but I have no idea of my measurements. It excites me to find out something new about my body I don't know. This last year I found out lots of new things about my body, like how it looks when my belly button turns inside out. And how it feels to have a human being inside my stomach, kicking me. How it feels to have my innards moved around and squished together to accommodate said human being. Mmm-hmm, lots of new things. So, measurements are exciting.
I am looking forward to this, all of this, and I really hope that it sets me on the right track for the rest of my life. To be a strong as a horse, and to be relaxed and happy.
Signing off,
Katie Maple