WEEKLY WEIGH IN

I have been out of town since Sunday. We don't return until NEXT SUNDAY! Dieting on the road is so hard for me. I haven't seen a scale all week, so I don't have any numbers for you today. Good thing is, I am on the gulf coast and I have all the freshest seafood in my reach, so I need to stick to the grilled seafood and stay away from the fried. Hope all the fat chicks and readers have a fabulous weekend!


Ryan

Allie:
+2
-20 (I've lost count...I think that's right?)
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Christina: 0 pounds
Total: -16 pounds
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Lesli:0 pounds
Total: -14 pounds

Terrée de Moules

Since I will be on the beach this weekend, I wanted to share a beachy healthy recipe for you to cook.  Nothings better than grilled mussels!  Recipe below!

I love the magazie saveur, and I found this recipe on  http://www.saveur.com/food/new-recipes/terre-de-moules-52280.html

PS (If you don't have any pine needles, wrap your mussels in foil, throw your favorite wine and herbs in and grill away until they open) It's that simple.

Grilled Mussels

RATED 4 STARS

(Terrée de Moules) Pine needles impart a delicious, smoky tang to the mussels in a classic terrée de moules, or mussel bake, which is traditionally done on the beach. The same results (and spectacle) can be achieved by means of a standard kettle grill. If you have access to dried, pesticide-free longleaf pine needles (from a species like aleppo or umbrella), you can collect your own (make sure they're completely brown). Place 1 1⁄2 lbs. scrubbed and bearded mussels, rounded side up, about 1"–2" apart, between the slats of the grill grate. Pile lightly packed dried pine needles atop mussels to a height of about 12". Light needles with a match; stand back. Allow needles to burn to ash, about 4–5 minutes. Dust away excess ash. Eat the mussels straight from the grill. (Discard any that are unopened.) Serves 4

I'm Hooked!!!

If you follow me on Twitter, you have seen the countless entries on my new obsession...Yogli Mogli. Apparently, this self serve frozen yogurt shop is the first of its kind on the east coast. Their first location is literally a half a mile from my house. What's funny is, I had never tried it until Lesli was here for a weekend and suggested we check it out. We didn't get a chance to that weekend, but I tried it the next week and have been HOOKED ever since. A good friend of mine lives in LA, and apparently everyone is on the "Fro-Yo" kick... I totally see why. The flavors are delicious, you can get as much or as little as you like, and there are 40 toppings to choose from. Best of all, the frozen yogurt is fat free, and (if you don't get carried away with the toppings) it is a very low calorie treat. I have had a little bit for a snack, and often, I have it for lunch or dinner....in fact...I had it for lunch AND dinner today...Seriously....it is SO good.

My favorite flavor combinations are New York Cheesecake swirled with Strawberry, topped with fresh strawberries....the other is York Peppermint Patty with Pistachio.

I was going to take a picture for the blog and post it, but half way through my cup of yogurt when i realized I had TOTALLY forgotten to take a picture before I started devouring it...

They are opening up 5 more locations in Atlanta....I think I should go ask them for a job...

Their website has some information on the benefits of yogurt that were very interesting...I am glad its so good for me, because I'm addicted and I see lots more of this in my future...

How Yogurt Benefits The Body:

Many people eat yogurt for its health benefits, because yogurt is more than a delicious, nutritious food. The cultures in yogurt are considered beneficial to be present in the intestinal tract of the human body to insure proper balance needed for digestion and good health. Yogurt with live, active cultures can:

• Help to overcome lactose intolerance

• Aid digestion of milk protein

• Help prevent and combat digestive tract infections

In recent research, other exciting effects have been observed and are currently being studied. They include:

• The potential that yogurt can help boost the immune system

• An indication that yogurt may be useful in lowering serum cholesterol

• Yogurt's potential in the prevention and management of certain cancers

In addition, yogurt is a source of…

• Protein

• Calcium

• Potassium

• The vitamins B12 and Riboflavin

Natural Pharmacy

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye... and YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.

A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food.

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums.. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

Avocadoes, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.

Weekly Weigh In

It's been a rough week for me. Not sure if it's all the freaking carbs or just the humidity outside, but I have felt so freaking heavy this past week! It's so hard to get out of the mind set of counting points to eating for energy/fuel. Surprisingly to me, I did lose weight this week & I think mentally I needed that. How can I not think ~ I ran 30 miles last week...I shouldn't be heavier. I did see the oprah with the weight lose celebrities on & one of them said, "To me it's not about being thin, it's about being healthy." at this moment that thought hit me & I thought that is what I have to make my mantra. I almost chunked my scale out the window so I could celebrate being healthy, but alas I'll be back to counting points in 6 weeks!

One thing I am proud to say ~ this past weekend I had to visit my local ER & the nurse asked me, "Are you healthy?" Beyond a shadow of a doubt & with no lie I boldly said, "yes, very healthy!" it was true & it felt good!

Week: -3
total: -14

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Christina: 0
Total: -16 pounds

Kitchen Parade

I found this really cool site called Kitchen Parade (www.kitchenparade.com). They have many weight watcher recipes and you should defiantly go check them out! One recipe that stuck out was the Maple Glazed Salmon! Here is what second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg had to say about Salmon. the recipe follows.

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Every week, another story emerges about the miracles worked by salmon. If the claims are to be believed, it’s the cancer-curing, figure-fending, wrinkle-ravaging, memory-mothering, clock-stopping, energy-saving, chocolate-tasting (okay, not that last one) food of the decade.
Whether the claims prove true hardly matters since salmon is so readily available, tastes so great and gets to the table so fast.

My recipe box includes a dozen great ways to cook salmon but this maple syrup-glazed treatment trumps them all. It’s a reincarnation of the French-classic and 1980s-trendy peppered steak, this time with buttery fish and cooked in just minutes under high heat.
Truth be told, it is a miracle food.

ALANNA's TIPS Salmon steaks, individual filets and thick filets from warehouse clubs all work well. If the skin’s still on one side, the salmon will be slightly tastier. Believe it or not, pancake syrup, even sugar-free pancake syrup, is a decent substitute for pricey maple syrup. The maple syrup-soy mixture can marinate two pounds of salmon so consider cooking extra for planned-overs. Commercial coarse pepper works better than freshly ground pepper. Do use a lot of pepper, more than seems imaginable! as much as a quarter cup. If it’s too peppery for someone, it’s easy to scrape off later. The salmon can be grilled as well.

QUICK SUPPER:MAPLE GLAZED SALMON
Sweet & peppery marinated salmon
Up-front prep: 5 minutes

Then marinate 4 – 48 hours

Then prep: 5 minutes

Then time to table: 25 minutes Serves 4

1 pound salmon (see ALANNA’s TIPS)
3/4 cup maple syrup (see TIPS)
1/4 cup soy sauce
Cooking spray
Plenty of coarse black pepper (see TIPS)

Combine the salmon, maple syrup and soy sauce in a ziplock bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (no skimping!) and as long as 48 hours, turning occasionally.

Move an oven rack to the top position and preheat to 500F.

Cover a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spritz with cooking spray. Remove the salmon (discard the remaining marinade) and arrange (skin-side down for filets with skin) on the baking sheet. Thickly and firmly, press the pepper into the top side.

Cook the salmon for about 6 minutes for individual filets or 10 minutes for fat filets or steaks. (The rule of thumb is 10 minutes per inch of thickness.) The salmon is done when the flesh has turned pale pink but remains moist.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Serving: 275Cal (41% from Fat); 13g Tot Fat; 3g Sat Fat; 17g Carb; 1g Fiber; 374mg Sodium; 67mg Cholesterol, Weight Watchers 6 points

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This looks so good and I'm sure you can do it out on the grill. I'm attempting to this weekend, I will let you know how it turns out.

Stop your Binging, SISTER!

Raise your hand if you splurged on your diet last week? {~Lesli's hand is going up...maybe more than once.~} I can confirm to all of you that I ate a donut last week for the first time in years and it was like eating a glazed topped blessing from heaven. I can also confirm that I felt ~ZERO~ guilt in my indulgence.

However, a little indulgence here and another indulgence there will eventually add up to more than a little gain on the scale & a set back in your hard work.

I recently came across an article that listed foods that help you stick to your plan and cut out binges. I know, I know, we've ALL seen these lists a million times, but these things WORK! Here are the products that I prefer!

Eggs: They’re a great source of hunger-quelling protein (about 6 g per egg), plus a recent study found that women following a low-fat diet who ate 2 eggs for breakfast at least 5 days a week lost 65% more weight and averaged an 83% greater reduction in waist circumference. Not a fan? Low-fat yogurt is a great source of (breakfast-happy) protein.

{If you follow me on TWITTER, you know how I love an Egg sandwich for breakfast! This is my favorite way to get in carbs & protein for breakfast. Real eggs don't have many calories either, so don't feel bad splurge on the real thing if you're not into the beaters!}

Almonds: These tasty nuts contain the healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, good-for-you fats that keep your appetite sated for hours. Studies back this up—one found that after 6 months, dieters whose eating plan included almonds lost 63% more weight, lost 50% more body fat, and shrunk their waistlines 55% more than those on a high-carb diet. They’re not exactly calorie free, so watch portions (1 ounce—or 28 nuts—is about 170 calories).

{Almonds are my favorite filler snack. I like to keep a bag in my purse so I can tide myself over or when I don't have my other snacks (Luna Bars, fruit, etc) readily available. LOVE the kick of the wasabi soy almonds, YUM!}

Avocados: How do I love these? In many many ways, but a few slices with a little lime juice is rich, satisfying, and loaded with so many important nutrients, including those healthy monounsaturated fats, plus vitamins and minerals like potassium and folate. No, they’re not calorie free, but a few slices have between 50 and 75 calories and will make any salad or sandwich SO much more satisfying (you can even throw avocado in a smoothie, which is common in Thai food).

{DO NOT be afraid of Avocados! They are your friend! What better way to enjoy them than to marry them with onions, tomatoes, lime & salt. How many of you can eat guac with a spoon? GUILTY!}

Apples: I’m going to resist the urge to write anything about absentee doctors and regular apple consumption, but needless to say, eating one or two of these crunchy, portable fruits really can benefit your waistline: One study found that subjects who ate one apple before every meal lost 40% more weight than those who didn’t. Plus, they’re low in calories—about 65 for one that’s medium-size.

{My favorite apples are Gala Apples & my least favorite are green apples, but oddly enough, I eat them in a fruit cup every day.}

Oatmeal: This is the food weight loss dreams are made of. It contains high amounts of soluble fiber, which slows digestion and keeps you full for hours, and one study found that subjects who ate oatmeal for breakfast every day and also walked an average of 15 to 30 minutes daily lost about 10 pounds in 12 weeks.

{I've been loving Village Farms Whole Grain oatmeal for a long time & my favorite is the blueberry kind! I don't care that it's 90+ degrees I love that oatmeal sticks to my bones and keeps me full}

Peanut butter: Despite the name, peanuts are actually a legume, not a nut, but they’re still high in those craving-quashing monounsaturated fats, and research has found that dieters who snack on peanuts or peanut butter lose more weight than those who don’t. My advice is to stick with the natural kind because it’s lower in added sugars—and spread some on those apple slices next time you get the 4 pm munchies.

{Naturally More peanut butter is delicious & I've been eating it on english muffins. Honestly, I've been SHOCKED at how it tides me over MUCH longer than I'm used to.}

Information taken from: Binge-proof your diet: 6 Foods that keep you full and satisfied partner by Liz Vaccariello, Editor-in-Chief, PREVENTION

DRESSED to Perfection

Salad dressing is a major sabotage, but only if you let it!

Drowning a salad in a high-calorie, high-fat dressing can easily turn a healthy dish into a diet disaster. Avoid overdoing it by using no more than 2 tablespoons per serving and stick to the healthier options, see list below.

Low Fat Italian: 22 Calories & 2 grams of fat
Raspberry Vinaigrette: 49 Calories and 3 grams of fat
Low Fat Ranch: 59 Calories 4 grams of fat
Thousand Island: 111 calories 11 grams of fat
Balsamic Vinegar and Live Oil: 133 Calories and 14 grams of fat (this one SHOCKED me!!)
French: 146 Calories and 14 grams of fat
Ranch: 145 Calories and 15 grams of fat

Weekly Weigh In...

Happy Friday everyone! It has been an awesome 4 weeks since the last time I updated. I can say now that I have consistently worked out 4-6 times a week for the past month! I have also modified my weight watchers regimen. What I try to do now is only use my flex points on weekends. This has really helped me stay focused during the week so that i feel good and get more out of my workouts. Things are finally on track and I am very happy about that. I looked back at past blog posts at all my "goal dates." If you have been reading, I think you know that I haven't been able to reach ANY of them! I have decided that instead of putting a date on when I need to be down a certain amount of weight, I am just going to keep doing what I am doing, and not stress as much about how long it is taking to get these pounds off. Of course, the first week I start to do this, I FINALLY get over the hump! No more hovering around the same weight and complaining about it people....I'm officially over the 15 pound mark!

Christina: -2 pounds
Total: -16 pounds
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Lesli: +3
Total: -11 pounds
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Ryan: 0 pounds (I rode my bike everyday this week and almost died of a heat stroke)

Total: -9 pound

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Allie: -2

Total: -20

Moroccan Chicken Kebabs

Allie found this recipe for me, it's right up my ALLEY! :) THANK YOU ALLIE :)

Moroccan Chicken Kebabs

Makes 4 servings

POINTS® values 3 per serving
Ingredients

1 1/4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 Tbsp orange juice
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
1 large zucchini, cut into 1-inch-thick half-moons
2 small red onions, quartered through the root
4 long skewers for assembling the kebabs

Instructions

Mix the chicken, orange juice, coriander, ginger, cinnamon, cumin, salt, garlic powder and pepper in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours.

Off heat, coat grill with cooking spray. Prepare gas grill for direct, high-heat grilling or build a high-heat charcoal bed in the center of the coal grate on a charcoal grill.
Divide the chicken, zucchini and onion among four large skewers, threading the meat and vegetables over the pointy ends and down the skewers.
Set the skewers directly over the heat and grill for 16 minutes, turning about every 4 minutes onto each of the other three sides, so that all four sides are well browned. When turning the skewers, use tongs to gently grasp some of the meat at the center. Do not turn the skewers by their ends — or put your hands down near the heat source.

Serving size: 1 skewer.

Thoughts from the trail

The other day I was driving to work & thought to myself - good grief I am in soooo much pain! Actually, its not far off from how I feel at this exact moment! Which of course got me to thinking about why I am putting my body through all the rigorous training in the first place and through those thoughts I learned a valuable life lesson that I think we can all benefit from. 

It made me realize that in every goal we set if we're going to reach it, it's not going to be easy & there's probably going to be a lot of pain.  For me, I'm running a marathon, because I want to believe about myself that I can do anything I put my mind to.  

My friend Camille posted a quote the other day that I love "a journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step." that's true of ALL of our journeys, be it trying to lose weight, trying to eat better, to work out more often or to finish your first marathon.  We all have to start somewhere! 

It takes a lot of thought, effort & patience to get where you want to be. There is no magic pill that will make you skinny in 2 weeks or prepared for a marathon in that length of time.   The thing is, we all have to start somewhere & it's going to be hard & probably a little painful, but the truth is ~ we WILL get there!  I just know it!

The Hills...

Amy invited me to run a 4 mile loop near her house on Saturday, and of course I was happy to join. Her and her jogging buddy were so sweet, and totally slowed down to keep up with my pace. What she didn't accurately describe are the MASSIVE hills that were involved in this run. I promise 2 miles of it was COMPLETELY up hill. I have only been running on flat trails, so this was a BIG change for me. After the run, I was exhausted and my butt and thighs are STILL sore! Apparently running up hills is great for training and conditioning. Here is some information I found about the benefits.

In hill running, you are using their body weight as a resistance to push against, so the driving muscles from which their leg power is derived have to work harder. The technique to aim for is a "bouncy" style where you have good knee lift and maximum range of movement in the ankle. You should aim to drive hard, pushing upwards with your toes, flexing your ankle as much as possible, landing on the front part of the foot and then letting the heel come down below the level of the toes as the weight is taken. This stretches the calf muscles upwards and downwards as much as possible and applies resistance which overtime will improve their power and elasticity.

You should look straight ahead, as you run (not at your feet) and ensure your neck, shoulders and arms are free of tension. Many experts believe that the "bouncy" action is more important than the speed at which you run up the hills.

Hill work results in the calf muscles learning to contract more quickly and thereby generating work at a higher rate, they become more powerful. The calf muscle achieves this by recruiting more muscle fibres, around two or three times as many when compared to running on the flat. The "bouncy" action also improves the power of the quads in the front of the thigh as they provide the high knee lift that is required.

Hill training offers the following benefits:

• Helps develop power and muscle elasticity
• Improves stride frequency and length
• Develops co-ordination, encouraging the proper use of arm action during the driving phase and feet in the support phase
• Develops control and stabilization as well as improved speed (downhill running)
  promotes strength endurance
• Develops maximum speed and strength (short hills)
• Improves lactate tolerance (mixed hills)

My goal is to incorporate this run into my workout, so that I can get even stronger for the marathon. I did check right after this run and the course at Kiawah Island is supposed to be really flat... thank goodness!!

Weekly Weigh In

Hey guys, it's Friday....WAHOO! So it's my week to post on the weekly weigh-in and prob the worst week for me since we started. My weight is up (way up) and I'm totally to blame. Regardless of the exercise I've done the last week or so, it's my eating. I'll admit I got a bit out of control. I really haven't counted points in weeks, and the last few weeks I have eaten naughty foods like I did in the good ole days. You know the days when I wore elastic-waist gauchos? I've just been OVER IT lately. Sick of thinking about it, sick of counting points, sick of eating salad when other ate chimichanga with queso on top. And since weight loss is A LOT mental, my mind took over my food. Aaarrrgggg! I weighed myself on Tuesday and was SHOCKED and then DISGUSTED. So I'm back on track and eating lean protein and veggies! Speaking of I need to go get my chicken and asparagus off the grill. Hoping to have much better results next week. Love,

Week: +4
Total: -18
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Ryan: + 1 pound
Total: -9
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Christina: -2 pounds
Total: -14 pounds

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Lesli: 0 pounds
Total: -14 pounds

Last Thursday I asked if anyone had any pointers and I received this sweet email from Jennifer over at http://www.theblessedhome.blogspot.com/

Here's what she had to say!

I saw your post this morning and thought I would write my tip. I recently met up with a friend of mine who is a personal trainer that helped put me on the right track with exercise through running. I keep calendar that I printed off the computer and track my progress throughout the week. Knowing she is going to get that calendar and see what I've done motivates me to make sure I do something every day. Also, I add up the times I ran and the miles I ran at the end of the week and the pounds I have lost. If I set a good goal number for the beginning of the week I find I work really hard to achieve it. I started three weeks ago only able to run 2 minutes and walk 4 minutes in intervals. Now I'm running 1/2 mile to 1 mile with 1/4 mile walks in between. Doing this exercise curbs my diet in that I want to eat healthier so I can run further.

Hope that helps!

Jennifer Brown
http://www.theblessedhome.blogspot.com/

Jennifer, Thank you for your email! Your doing so well! I'm sure you have motivated many to start their own exercising calender. I'm printing a calendar off right now. Good luck on your runs and keep us posted!

If you have a tip or would like to share your progress please EMAIL ME! I love hearing about every one's progress! It helps me get back on track. Have a great Thursday!

Retrain Your Brain!

{Here I am last week posing with a lovely landscaped BearBush in Fairfax!}

Hey FatChicks ~ Lesli, here! Thank you for allowing me a break last week ~ I was working my hiney off in Fairfax, VA and was down a computer and short on time! I missed y'all!

I had an interesting week last week, and I thought I would share with y'all. Whenever I meet a marathon runner I ask them for their advice. The advice that I most often get is ...

1. Eating right is CRUCIAL.

and

2. Expect to GAIN weight, not to LOSE weight. {Hear what I'm saying ~ don't hang up your running shoes, because running is a GREAT form of cardio & very much helps in weight loss, but stick to more normal distances, more often & sprints to lose weight}

Hi, I've been losing weight with my FatChicks for the past few months & I'm running many miles a week, how can that mean anything but Weight Loss? Since I'm burning more calories, I'm taking more calories in and different types of calories. Before, I ate a TON of fiber, and now I have significantly cut down my fiber intake. {Read www.ALifeLesOrdinary.blogspot.com TODAY to find out why THAT is necessary}

I've always been a reward eater, and I have been retraining my brain for the past 7 months to NOT walk in from the gym and immediately reward myself with chocolate cake with extra icing! On any given Saturday I can burn over 1,000 calories and I'll admit... it is WAY HARD to not come home and splurge.

I left my treadmill on this past Sunday in tears, because I gave into my indulges and paid BIG time. I couldn't do it. It's so hard for me to admit here, but I couldn't physically finish my run. In the 24 hours before my run I consumed~ Five Guys Burgers & Fries, Sausage Purses, Chipotle Burrito Bowl, M&Ms & Gardettos. I was properly hydrated, but holy hell, I was FAR from properly nourished. I haven't eaten like that in a LONG time and I was definitely overcome with guilt.

Lesson learned. I have more travels planned for July & I have to get control now. At this point, if I lose weight great, but my MAIN goal is to finish my race and I'm ALMOST half way there!

Run Forrest Run.....

Well it's time to fully commit. I said that once I worked up to running 3 miles, that I would get real running shoes. I have been rockin' the $35 New Balance sneakers that I bought 2 years ago from TJ Maxx. They have done me well. When I decided to run the marathon, I went to the Big Peach Running Co. in Atlanta, got the stride of my run analyzed and my feet scanned to find the perfect running shoe. I like running shoes with lots of gel, because if my feet hurt, it just isn't going to work. I ordered my running shoes weeks ago, but of course I had to get the pink ones, so it took a few weeks to come in. Running shoes are no cheap purchase, but I am sure I will get good use out of them, and they will help with my running tremendously. These are not the exact shoes that I ordered, but they are very similar. They are made by Asics.

We went down to LA....lower Alabama for the weekend to visit my family. I got up at 6am on the 4th of July with my Grandfather,"Papa". He took me to the local track so I could get my run in. All weekend long he bragged to anyone who would listen about how I ran THREE MILES. He was very proud, and that made me feel good. I know it may not sound like a really long distance, but its the longest distance I have EVER run in my life. I have to add 10 miles to that which is a bit intimidating, but at least I'm off to a good start.

I also want to send some love to Lesli, who has been kickin' butt and taking names with her marathon training. She is up to 12 miles, bless her heart... You can do it Girl! I'll be there at the finish line cheering you on! Sixty days and counting!!

I finally did it!

Hey everybody! Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend. I really enjoyed mine! I have some news. {And NO I'm NOT running a marathon!} Guess what I did three times last week and again this morning? EXERCISED! I've talked about NOT doing it since we started this blog, but have known that I really HAVE to for much longer than that. Angie has been my partner, I find it SO much easier if I have a work-out buddy. We aren't pumping iron yet, but are getting our heart rates up and sweating, which is the important part, right?

Have an awesome week!

Weekly Weigh In...

Is everyone off of work today! I am! YIPEE! I plan on going to the beach or hanging out at a pool. I love summer and it's going by so fast, which is depressing because I'm still not sporting a bikini around! I feel like Ive been stuck in a rut, I need some help getting out of it. I have lost 0 pounds this week. Hopefully I can pass over this -10 pounds soon and leave it for good! 15 would be nice to see :) Hope everyone has a fun and safe July 4!

Ryan: 0 Pounds
Total: -10 pounds

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Lesli: -1 pound

Total: -14 pounds

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Christina: 0 pounds

Total: -12 pounds

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Allie:

Week: 0

Total: -22lbs.

HAPPY 4th of July!

What are everyone’s planes for this weekend? I love the 4th of July! I found a healthy recipe that you all could make for your BBQ this Saturday…simple, delish, and pretty! Recipe is below. Our plans are to grill out and then head to a little town near by and watch the fireworks on the lake. I would love to hear about your plans for the 4th!

ALSO, I’m always talking about myself and how I’m doing with my weight loss journey. I would love to hear about your diet. Please email me on how you’re doing or if you have any tips and I will post it next Thursday. I’m sure it would be a motivation for others to see! My email is rmendell7244@aol.com. Hope to hear from you!

Ingredients

1 8-ounce carton vanilla low-fat yogurt
1/4 teaspoon almond extract or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 of an 8-ounce container frozen light whipped dessert topping, thawed
3 cups fresh raspberries and/or cut-up fresh strawberries
3 cups fresh blueberries

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together yogurt and almond extract or vanilla. Fold in whipped topping.
2. To serve, in six 12-ounce glasses or dessert dishes, alternate layers of the berries with layers of the yogurt mixture. Makes 6 servings.
Make-Ahead Directions: Prepare parfaits as directed through Step 2. Cover and chill for up to 1 hour.

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 6 servings
Calories 129,
Total Fat (g) 3,
Saturated Fat (g) 2,
Cholesterol (mg) 2,
Sodium (mg) 26,
Carbohydrate (g) 21,
Fiber (g) 8,
Protein (g) 3,
Fruit (d.e.) 1,
Other Carbohydrates (d.e.) .5,
Fat (d.e.) .5,