Still going strong :)

--Trisha
I keep my personal weight loss blog updated daily :)  Trisha Weighs In
I also keep my thankful blog the same! Who's Got Talk?

I am surviving the holidays and kicking bootie :)

ONEDERLAND!! I have now officially entered it!

--Trisha

I can't even begin to tell you how I feel today!! Here's why:

I am now under 200 pounds!! I cannot even remember the last time, but I think it was like 8 years ago! ALL I HAVE TO SAY is don't let the door hit you on the big butt, 200s!!! I won't be seeing you around again EVER! I still can hardly believe that mid-June I weighed close to 250!!

Stephanie here...

I have been battling the binge and I am winning.  I have some handy tools which I use every second of the day and I am so far doing okay.  I eat at certain times of the day and I only eat what I bring.  Now when the lady from the office brings in her super incredible best fudge in the world in, I hope I have strength to make it through...

I weighed in at 185.  So got through the holidays without a gain...so I am a winner there!!  I watched portions and drank a ton of water.  And coffee! :)  And tea... :)

My kids have been keeping me plenty busy and we are making crafts and getting gifts sent off for our craft swaps.  My daughter is finishing that up this week.  I am finishing up a stocking swap! :) 

So my goals for this week are very similar to Trisha's....water, water, water.  15 minutes of movement a day.  and of course, no binging.

Update, update, update!

--Trisha
Hello! I am letting you know that you can keep up with my progress on my weight loss journey on my personal blog :)

As well, I have revived another one of my blogs, and I am making it into a thankful blog.

You can check it out right here! I totally cannot guarantee that I won't blog about everything and anything else, but no matter what, I will find one thing each day for which I am thankful :))

Maybe we will come back to this blog, maybe next summer...We will see! Thanks for coming along for the ride!!

A LOSS!!!

--from Trisha

I lost 3 pounds this past week! YEAH :) SO, I now weigh 206.2!! This is especially awesome because last week I had that 1.4 gain. I am getting so excited, because at this pace, I will be under 200 in three weeks!!!! That is my goal!

You can check out more details at my PERSONAL BLOG :)

Not a diet...

First and foremost, Stephanie…you hit the nail on the head, it’s NOT A DIET! It shouldn't be a diet. DIETS DON'T WORK!!! Maybe part of the reason why this is working for me this time is because, it’s NOT A DIET for me!

I have had several conversations with several people lately, as so many people have asked me, “What are you doing?” or “What diet are you on?” Some of them have been genuinely bummed when I tell them, “What am I doing? It’s called LIFE! I am not on any special diet. I eat what I want when I want, I just made CONSCIENTIOUS choices, rather than letting my emotions rule what goes in my mouth. I try to move. I don’t move as much as I would like to move, but I do some moving!” And, I always tell them about how I write everything down. That is the key for me, being 100% honest with what I eat and how much I eat, no matter what it is.

Stephanie...No one expects you to give your family time away. I ALWAYS choose my family first in everything I choose to do, and I know that I always will do that. I know that if I wasn’t choosing my family first, I would downward spiral into who knows where, but it wouldn’t be a good place. For sure if given the choice between being with my kids or working out, the family will always win. You have made choices for you. You are moving!! You walk and do Zumba, and you are right to not feel guilty to choose your family over your treadmill!! It’s all about balance. Life is crazy for most people. I think we all feel overwhelmed in our own situations, and it's just about truly figuring out what works and what doesn't.

As far as this blog goes, I don’t really care if we keep it going, unless we get to a place (maybe next summer) where we want to do some physical challenges or even just do some things together physically, like ride our bikes—you, Sarah and me. Or, go for hikes or walks or whatever. The blog could take on different topics, if we wanted to let it evolve into hobbies or parenting tips or healthy recipes, or whatnot. Though, I kinda feel like we both do that on our own blogs, as it is already. So, maybe it's come to an end...or, maybe we keep it around and just blog once a week or every couple of weeks to keep updates going.  

Response to Trisha...

Stephanie here, and I wanted to give my two bits on your subject:
Here we are at a milestone, indeed! Now I am curious where we are going to go with our blog from here, as certainly our challenge has changed quite a bit. We both face our own personal battles with the scale, with an entirely different focus for each of us. Do we keep blogging here? Do we keep blogging about the same topics? Is this blog growing and changing and morphing into something new? Or, fading?


What are your feelings, Stephanie?

You know, I have been thinking and I think we have learned a lot about ourselves through this challenge/blog.  I almost feel like it is fading.  I think we are at different places, good places, but different.  We really aren't "challenging" each other anymore, in fact the real challenge is within ourselves and I think we are both winners there! :) So I will let you decide if you want to still keep this going.  I kinda don't want to let go yet, but I feel that we have grown to something different now...

Checking in!

Well I took a hiatus from dieting. Or at least the word dieting.  I am dealing with my issues and life.  I didn't have time to let "dieting" consume me. I had a husband who I basically didn't see and my kids.  When my husband is working crazy ranch hours, it makes "dieting" hard.  I basically don't sit with my family during the week unless they sit at the kitchen table, which my daughter does, until the weekend.  I am busy picking up and cooking, doing homework, folding clothes, talking baby talk to my boy, having girl talks with my girl, packing lunches, making coffee, making breakfast, reminding others of their tasks, changing diapers, making sure my boy isn't eating something he shouldn't or pulling the dogs hair! :) I wake at 4:30 and I go to bed by 8.  I leave the house at 7 and get home at 6.  When my husband is home, the house runs more smoothly because he keeps me calm and takes some chores so I don't have to do everything and I get to sit or at least breathe.  Last week, I was exhausted.  I run on auto pilot and when a moment of quiet passes, I see that I need to sit and breathe.  I know that making time for myself is the key to this journey and making myself a priority, but seriously folks, unless you have the support and a nanny, exercise is hard to fit in!!! Yes, I know you can incorporate moves in when playing, but I am talking about jogging on the treadmill or doing a DVD.  After making sure everyone was on track and had eaten and had clean clothes and homework done, I just wanted to spend any moment I could with my family, not with the treadmill.  So I didn't have a loss, but I did have a gain...a gain of not feeling guilty over spending time with my family over exercising my butt off.  I did do my walks and such during the day, but nothing extra.  And you know what...I'M OK WITH THAT!

New week, thank goodness!!

--Trisha
Last week was a tough one for me. I had a few tough days, and then a few days that were OK, and then a few more tough ones. BUT, thankfully it's over!! This week has been FAR better, and I feel back to normal. You can read more about it over at my personal blog!

So, my weigh-in this week was a gain. That hasn't happened, except for maybe one other time on this journey. Though I was not surprised.

Last week: 207.8 this week 209.2 = 1.4 gain :(

100th POST! How cool is that?!

--Trisha

Here we are at a milestone, indeed! Now I am curious where we are going to go with our blog from here, as certainly our challenge has changed quite a bit. We both face our own personal battles with the scale, with an entirely different focus for each of us. Do we keep blogging here? Do we keep blogging about the same topics? Is this blog growing and changing and morphing into something new? Or, fading?

What are your feelings, Stephanie?

BED update

Stephanie here...I updated my personal blog about my journey through Binge Eating Disorder (BED).  You can check it out and see what I am doing on my quest to conquer this addiction of mine. 

Super Duper!

--Trisha
Last week 209.8, and today...207.8!! That's a two-pounder! I did NOT expect that, but I will take it. I know that TOM is any day now, and I am so glad that I weighed today before the all-day Halloween eating at school than if I woulda weighed in tomorrow!! I might actually weigh tomorrow, just to see the damage, LOL! Normally I wait all week...

And, something else I am totally proud of myself about: I got up at 5:30, and I went to the gym! I ran a 12-minute mile today, THE best I have ever done :)) I cranked the treadmill up to 8 mph for 90 seconds, and I did that TWICE!!! I will admit that I was a little terrified of falling on my face and off the back of the treadmill, but in reality, I am a lot stronger than I give myself credit for being!! My goal is to be able to do 10 mph for 30 seconds. I am going to go for that on Wednesday!!! Stay tuned...

This workout also helped me not feel so guilty for the sweets I ate today. I did write EVERYTHING down that went in my mouth :) I did eat small portions!!!

I have a plan to workout Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings at the gym, jogging on the treadmill, maybe some elliptical, and I would love to get the weights started, though that may be a little more down the road. I felt RADICAL all day, full of energy, that I don't think was just the sugar! Then through November, I have Zumba on Tuesdays, plus I have my Zumba dvds.

I also have re-focused my water goal, and I am on several days in a row of back to 100 ounces at least! I can totally feel the difference. I feel so much better when I drink enough water :))

I am so excited for this next month!! On October 3rd I weighed 215. So, I lost 7.2 pounds this month. IF I were to do the same this month, I would be right close to the 200 mark!! THAT is some SUPER motivation!!!

response to your "Journey for Sure" post

Trisha,
You nailed it!  This has been a huge turning point for us!  Without this challenge/blog, we wouldn't have the relationship we have built.  It is crazy to me that life hasn't let us be friends and not only are we battling the bulge, but we are building a friendship.  We are strong and determined women with obstacles to work around and combining our knowledge and strength, we will overcome it ALL! 

Thank you for all your inspiration and kind words.  There is a light at the end of the tunnel...and I am so proud of you!

PHewwww! I made it through!

Last week wasn't my best week in all aspects of my life.  It was very emotional and just tough.  But today I have renewed spirit.  I have a different outlook on life!!!  It is once again a new day, a clean slate. 

I weighed in at a 195 this morning.  That is a gain I can totally handle.  I did lots of exercise and I didn't eat like a champ.  I didn't eat horribly either.  I was totally aware of what I was eating with my journal, the good and the bad. The one thing that I did do differently this last week was beat myself up over every little thing.  That could be why my weekend was so super fun packed and why today I feel so good!!!

I have been doing Zumba like crazy! Then this weekend, I did yard work and played with the kids.  Today is a whirlwind day...got a Halloween party to go to at the school and a lunch party at work.  But I will make good choices and watch my portions!! 

To a new day.....

Lots of updates!!

--Trisha
Check out my blog! I have found a heart rate monitor I am buying t his week!! SO EXCITED :) Also, I learned a lot about EPOC!!

Time is flying, and so is the fat!

--Trisha
I have updated my winter workout and weight loss goals over on my other blog! I can't believe we have been doing this since mid-July! 3 1/2 months :))

A journey, for sure!

Stephanie,
Thank you for having the courage to share your condition. I just wanted to say a few things about this challenge. I truly believe it's grown to mean so much more than just a challenge to each of us. I feel like it has pushed your struggle to the surface, and now you are able to focus on healing. And, holy smokes, you have been exercising for 3 1/2 months now!! So many benefits there, as well as where would you be physically right now without it?

I believe that this challenge, which has really turned more into a motivational blog between two unlikely people, has definitely made things better between us! Our entire readership does not know of our recent stress between our two households, but I believe that it healed much more quickly than it would have back in the day.

The bottom line is that neither one of us wanted to give up on all the progress we have made, in large part due to this blog!!! Is everything perfect? Of course not, but I feel like we can see things differently now, and that through this blog, we haven't just viewed one another based on our roles in a little one's life! Rather we see each other as women, as real people!

I look forward to seeing where our journey continues to take us :)

Please read....

I know I haven't weighed in yet.  But I did a post on my personal blog and I am going to link it for you all to read.  I have done something I am not proud of and it was harder than H E double hockey sticks to talk about. there...it's done and said.

Trisha's Weigh-In

I had lots of exercise this weekend :))
I had lots of food experiences, too!!
You can check it all out on my other blog.

Today I was nervous when I stepped on the scale, but ALAS!!! I weigh 209.8!!!!!!!!!!!!! So, I lost 2 pounds this past week :))) And, I am now officially--albeit not by much--out of the 210s!! WOO HOO :) I can't hardly believe that I now have less than 10 pounds to pull under 200!!! TALK ABOUT MOTIVATION :)

I gave Stephanie back the Health magazine she gave me. The crazy thing was that I had bought the same magazine(for the first time) right before she gave it to me!! I also gave her a Women's Running magazine, which was also the first time I bought it.

Weigh in

Last week: 183.3
This week: 184

Sooo tired of the roller coaster!!!!  I need to shake this!!!  I have been journaling food, and exercising.  But I think I need to amp it up a bit.  I need to double check my portion sizes.  And I need to move even more. 

I will do this.  I have to do this.  I can do this.

YES, YOU CAN! I am so proud of your exercise!! Remember that you are making changes on the inside, both healhty heart-wise and healthy head-wise :))) YAHOO!