Lesli on Goals

This post is much harder for me to write than I thought it would be. I was chatting with a friend the other day and she said, "I hope this doesn't come across as bragging, but I've lost 10lbs since I started losing weight!" Bragging? Heck NO! I am so proud of my friend! We all know how hard losing weight can be and we need to celebrate each others victories and let them motivate us to be the best we can be.

Now having to write this post I get what she means. I don't want to come across as a bragger either, but I think this blog is about setting goals, sharing failures & celebrating success! Surprisingly, I feel weirder about putting these words out on the blog than I felt about my first sports bra picture. Hell... Without further adieu... I reached my goal weight! {original post}

Here's me on the 1st day of this blog...

{OMG... my boobs were huge!}

and here's me celebrating my 30th birthday... I am happy, because I'm at my goal and I have a routine that flows right now. I got there through hard work, but not torture. I.E. ~ I ate food that I wanted. If I was craving ice cream, I had ice cream. Now, I'm not trying to pretend like Oh I ate what I wanted and lost weight. If I had ice cream at lunch, I didn't have it at dinner. Except for vacation... and then I ate what I wanted, but tried to not be a total gluttonous fool. Tried being the operative word here. I'm also not trying to pretend like Oh and I spent about 20 minutes on the elliptical a day and did some yoga. Let me be frank with you... since December I've pushed it hard in the gym. Not to the point of killing myself, but on average I worked out 5-6 times a week(hard, sweaty, heart rate up). {Now, before you get on your work out high horse and tell me that's too much, Bob Harper clearly says in his Strength video that if you want a great body you have to work out hard 4-6 times a week} Spinning, Running, Weights, etc. I know my body... I rested when I needed to and didn't beat myself up for it. I'm also not trying to pretend like I think my body is perfect nor do I think I'm the skinniest person you know. Guess what, I'm NEITHER of those things and maybe if I did torture myself a little more and splurge a little less I would be, but that's not my life. I don't eat perfectly all the time and I'm not always the perfect work out person, but where I am right now is a place of happiness. What worked best for me was relaxing and getting into my routine. I couldn't help but think this morning on the spin bike... beyond maintaining (which is a LOFTY goal) what will my next goal be? Any suggestions?

post holiday weigh in

who was excited to get on the scale this week? AHHHHH NOT ME! I worked like a crazy person to combat the steak, boursin potatoes, cheese grits, mimosas, ham biscuits, mimosas & wine! (yes, I had so many mimosas I had to count it twice!) All my hard work netted me completely flat, and I'm not mad at the number I'm more mad that I tried to convince myself that my portions were small. I am happy to report that me & Christina took one hell of a spin class before we indulged!

This week is a new week and I've got myself into a good eating and work out routine, so I am setting myself up for success! HOw many of you made weight related resolutions? Share them in the comments, because in the end we are ALL in this together!

xoxo ~ Lesli

Total Loss: 0
Goal: 10

WEEKLY WEIGH IN

I lost 1 pound! :) YIPEE!!!

Ryan's Total: 1 pound


I think I will start posting a picture each week so I can look back and hopefully see results. I will try to wear the same outfit (if I can remember).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christina:

Hey Ya'll! I'm back in too! Today is my first day to start counting points and feeling great! I read through some of my old posts and got a bit sad. I was so motivated and encouraged to get to my goal weight, and unfortuantely, I have let the pounds slip back on over the course of this year.....There is however, one thing I know for sure, I can definately get them off again!!!

I look forward to updating every week, and hearing from all of you!

Christina Goal: -25 pounds

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lesli: 0 lbs

I held steady this week and was so happy! I started my period on weigh in day (as luck would have it) and was so thankful to not be 10lbs up. Of course, that's how I felt! I had a little cold sneak up on me also, so I was proud that I pushed through and kept my workout routing going.

Workout Schedule:

Monday: 1 hr spin

Tuesday: 1 hr strength training (Bob Harper inside out method)

Wednesday: 1 hr spin

Thursday: rest

Friday: 1 hr yoga

Saturday or Sunday: Run & Rest

This week I focused on scaling back my portion sizes and staying away from carbs at night. I eat pretty much the same thing for breakfast and lunch everyday. Kashi cereal for breakfast to get my carbs in early and grilled chicken and fruit salad. No carbs for lunch is really easy for me, but not as easy at night, because Justin is usually eating with me! We plan our meals for the week on Sunday, so I'm going to start being a lot more specific about cutting out our night carbs! Coudln't hurt either of us!=)

~Work Out video Queen~

I am so the Queen of Work Out Videos and I'm ready to accept my crown! My gym recently added spin classes to it's line up, but before then you'd be hard pressed to find a hard core work out class! Therefore, I resorted to videos and exercise tv on demand! My first video ever was Jillian Michael's ~ The Shred. It's what kick started my healthy lifestyle and set a pretty high standard for meeting my work out video criteria.

I've recently come across some new *favorites* and I'd be remiss if I didn't take the time to share the good with you!

I said in my last update that I've been yoga-obsessed lately and I owe it all to this video. I discovered it on demand and I can't get enough of it! I went to do it the other day and the video was OFF demand, so I immediately hopped online and ordered my very own copy!

Yogis... meet Yogaworks Body Slim

This chick on the cover is not the chick that does the video, but she's in the video! So the video last 50 minutes... about 45 minutes of hard core yoga and 5-6 minutes of cool down stretching and relaxing. It's challenging enough to make you sweat, but not unattainable for the beginner yogi! There are 3 different cardio-flowing sequences that get your heart rate up followed by slow burns to really tone your muscles. I normally do this first thing in the morning and I can feel the sensation of the poses in my muscles for hours.

I've seen the most results in my leg strength and my arms are more visibly toned. This one is definitely worth adding to your collection, and I added it to mine for a little less than $10!

~Namaste~

2 YEARS!

Hey old friend! Can you believe it's almost been 2 years since we started this weight loss blog? CRAZY! It feels great to be 2 years healthier and stronger! Good grief - I haven't written a FFC blog or an ALLO blog in so long that I can hardly remember how to write one!

Let's just get real ~ I have a big work event in February and I want to look good. I have never in my healthy life been so motivated, committed and so focused as when I was doing my weekly weigh ins for FourFatChicks! Seems the smarted thing for me to do was to round up some other FatChicks and start weighing in on the blog every week!

We are so happy that y'all are going to be holding us accountable for the next few months! Each Friday we'll update our weight and share our thoughts and feelings throughout the week. I just started on monday, so I won't be able to update my weight loss until next Friday! Same as before, we'll fill you in on what's filling us up and how we're burning those calories!

Lesli's Goals~
Weight Loss: 10lbs
Body: visibly toned & strong
Exercise(s) I'm love right now: Yoga, Running & Spinning
Food I'm loving right now: Spicy Grilled Chicken & Fruit Salad

it's good to be back!

from ALifeLesOrdinary... "A 'BIG' Moment"

I conduct all of our first round interviews in our business. Some people will hire anyone, I will not. One of the questions that has always stuck out to me is question number 6. Who is your hero? 97.9% of the time I get Mom, Dad, Aunt, Uncle or Grandparent. And when I ask why, I usually get the same response. "They've always been there for me." LAME! Shouldn't a hero be someone who inspires greatness in you? I think it's a tough question and every time I ask it I wonder who I would say.

A few weeks ago I was in Atlanta for business and Alison Sweeney *tweeted* an invite to go work out with she and Jillian in Atlanta. I assumed that they'd be working out downtown and I'd be a good 20 miles from where all the magic was happening. For grins I googled it, and would you believe my luck... they were 4 miles down the same street I was staying on! What? I called Justin and he said, "DUH! You have to go!" The opportunity to work out with the work out person I most look up to? It was MY moment and I had to take it!


So what was actually going on was Biggest Loser was shooting their first episode of Season 10 & invited the community to come out for a workout and show taping. They shot various parts of the episode around the country. They introduced 3 potential BL's and had them compete for 2 spots on the show. Jillian led the entire group in a work out and when I say led I'm saying that when I was doing push-ups my hands were basically touching her shoes and I was praying to the virgin Mary tattoo on her ankle! I expected there to be 1,000s and 1,000s of people there, but there were maybe 175?

Filming a show is a huge undertaking, so there was a lot of waiting around, but I was a woman with time and my iPhone {excuse the poor quality of the photos} on & in my hands, so I was in for the long hall. They interviewed people who were future cast hopefuls and asked how BL had inspired the crowd. BL inspired me to run a Half Marathon {which I'll be doing again this September!}.

First things first ~ Alison Sweeney runs out! Haven't we all been loving Ali since she was chunky Sami on Days? She was TINY in person and so engaging with the crowd. Also, she had on the cutest nude wedges ever and I can't quit thinking about them and looking for them!

Then out came Jillian and the workout started immediately, so I snapped a pic before she came over and camped out by me. Jillian seems very HARD and LOUD on BL, but it was definitely more of a playful "yell" during the filming.



Yes, the workout was HARD! For those of you who have ever done one of Jillian's work out video's, it was like doing one of her videos on fast forward. 10 minutes and I was pouring sweat and panting! So, if you've been wishing and hoping you could get trained by Jillian I suggest you put her video on fast forward and try to keep up!

Then the potential contestants came out to tell their story and weigh in before the competition. Which was the first 2 to complete a mile would be immediately escorted to the ranch. There were limos outside, but I have no idea where they were really going.

Before anyone came out the director said, "I'm not sure how many of you have stepped on the scale lately, but I'm sure most of you haven't stepped on the scale in front of strangers. Please be respectful." Then he genuinely choked up. It was just as emotional in person as it is on your couch. You can't edit that kind of emotion in to a reality tv show... it's just there.

Ali tweeting how excited she was to meet me in person. Y'all all saw that tweet, right?

My turn on the scale! Thankfully, with NO cameras (but my own), NO sound affects, and NO actual weight being posted!

I didn't get to take my picture with Jillian, but I got a good picture of who Jillian is. I think there's a lot of "acting" in these situations and putting on for the camera, but cameras rolling or not...Jillian loves her work and her mission is to make your life better. I was amazed at how genuine she is and how truly un-judgmental she is. Is un-judgmental a word? I left that day with much deeper appreciation for Bob & Jillian and what they do on the Biggest Loser and to everyone being inspired at home. I also left with my answer to the interview question if I ever get asked.

Jackie Warner ~ Power Circuit Training ~

Helllllooooo, Friends! Long time no talk! Maybe you've been wondering where I've been thinking I've fallen off the wagon or perhaps traded in blogging for Ice Cream eating... NO! 2010 has gotten off to a great start for me physically. I started the year off with a food cleanse & detox and it got my head in the right place. I feel better than I have in a long time, and I think I look better than I have in a long time. Instead of focusing on counting points I've been more involved in understanding what I'm eating and making healthy decisions.

FourFatChicks blog definitely changed my work out life and got me into a routine. I no longer feel guilty for skipping the gym, but I try and change things up enough that I never want to skip! I still do a lot of workouts in my living room, because as of today there are no classes offered at my gym. {However, I saw a sign that they expanding & starting classes soon! Maybe Bob Harper will come and teach SPIN!}

I love my exercise channel and being able to try workout videos before I buy them. My next video purchase will DEFINITELY be ~

Personal Training with Jackie Warner: Power Circuit Training

I do the total body circuit and it seems easy enough to get through, but afterwards... I walk with a limp for 2 days! This is a BIG deal for me, because I work out often enough that I might get a little sore, but not majorly sore for 2 freaking days! The best part is that while going through the circuits you don't feel like you're going to die, but you do have to work for it.

I've seen the video at Target & Wal*Mart and it's on Amazon.com right now for $7.99. Such a good deal to add to your collection! Now, who is excited about Jillian's new yoga video? {Hint, Hint ~ ME!}

30 Day Challenge ~~Winner~~

I am so excited that we are announcing the winner of the FIRST EVER FourFatChicks 30 Day Challenge! I've been trying to decide all week how we'd go about this, and figured I'd give all 3 of our WonderWomen 4 chances to win. One for each FatChick!

Then I cut each of the names up and placed them into an old Fat Free Cool Whip container which, if you pay close attention to in the video I call it a Fat Free Tupperware! OOPS!


To find out who won the drawing you have to watch and listen to me actually draw!

Congratulations, WINNER! See how I did that? Now you HAVE to watch the video or you'll never know who won & you won't be able to make fun of me for all the silly faces I make and my couuuuntry accent!

~ Winner ~ email your address to FourFatChicks @ gmail.com so you can collect your prize!

PS ~ I did several takes and I'M NOT KIDDING the same person won EVERY time! Weird, huh? Must be fate!

1st week back! ~ Lesli ~

This marks the end of my 1st week truly back in the swing of counting points! Let me be the first to say ~ dang! It's so not easy getting back into the routine of counting every single point, but you know what saved my points life? Writing down every single point! I wrote them in my notebook & in my iWatcher application on my phone. I was SHOCKED at how quickly points would go and how much I was VASTLY underestimating just by doing points in my head. Not sure why I trusted myself... I've never been good at math!

Week 1 down ~ stayed within my points and managed to exercise 6 of the 7 days!

Weight: -2

Waist: -.5inch

I decided this time around I was going to also measure myself so I could see the benefits of working out as well! The only other significant drop in measurements was my right thigh where I lost 1/2 an inch! Which is great news, because this is my goal dress and it is ~SNUG~ in the thighs and butt! {just to be sure I tried it on again yesterday & it's still snug!}

~ Next time you see this dress, it will be hanging perfectly from my body!

{WINNER of the 30 Day Challenge will (hopefully) be announced tomorrow! ~ it's been a much busier work week than I anticipated!}

~Day 1 Down~ ***GIVEAWAY***

So, how did it go? I saved my Shred for the end of the day & like a nut case I DREADED IT! I've been training for a marathon for the past 4 months and honest to gawd, when Jillian was going through the introduction I had a nervous tummy! Of course it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be & even though my arms are JELLO it went by fast & the cardio part was a snap. Let me get this out in the open - I hate doing abs. Jillian is the ONLY person that can get me to do abs. Not sure why I have a complete aversion to them, but I'd rather put my body through ANYTHING else to not have to do abs! Hopefully Jillian can get me over this mental block!


I've learned through my marathon training, that I am mentally better if I'm counting backwards. That means ~ only 29 days to go! Already out of the 30s! If you ever spend multiple hours running you begin marking strange milestones.

***GiveAway Time***

To make things easier one of our *Challengers* Amy, created a calendar to print out to write in daily workouts to keep track of progress. I loved it so much I thought, "How can I incorporate this into the challenge?" Then I thought... we need a GiveAway. How can we make this calendar apart of the GiveAway? {If you would like for us to email you a copy of this calendar, please let me know!}



SNAP ~ At the end of each week all those who are interested in participating in The FourFatChick's 30 Day Challenge will post a picture of their completed calendar on their BLOG & link back to http://www.fourfatchicks.blogspot.com/. Then leave us a comment so we can visit your blog & see your calendar! GET CREATIVE WITH YOUR CALENDAR! Decorate it, Take it places, Pose with it, most importantly FILL IT UP!



What's at stake? IF you stick to The FourFatChick's 30 Day Challenge, workout every day of September for at least 20 minutes & post a picture of your weekly calendar you will be entered in a drawing.



For?

$100

You read that right. A $100 GiftCard to Target could be YOURS in 30 days if you choose to complete this challenge. AND ~ because I was busy working on Tuesday & you won't read this until Wednesday I'm going to go ahead and let y'all join the challenge a day late. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE ~ feel free to invite your friends to join in the challenge!

~I chose Target because I LOVE their workout clothes & that they give back to the community.

Who's with us?

This is the LAST weekend before September starts, so I wanted to make one more push for our 30 Day Challenge in September!

I think the most important this is that we're MOVING, no matter what we're doing! If you're walking Disney World, running a marathon or pulling weeds in your garden at least you're moving! SO ~ don't let not owning the 30 day shred be just another excuse to not get control of your weight.

The reason I'm wanting to do this is because I've been so focused on my running training that I'm needing a change and I need to make a big change to get me from eating bagels and english muffins to sweating it out daily with Jillian, and that's what works for me!

Now ~ I've given you a few days to think about it and mull over all the excuses that will keep you from joining this challenge, and I'm here to ask again ~ who's joining us?

1. Lesli
2. Allie
3. Lindsay
4. Ryan
5. Christina
6. Lynn
7. Tiffany
8. Rikki
9. Steph Mc
10. Mandi
11. ??
and so on!

I propose...

A 30 Challenge.

WAIT! Before you click the little X or move on to your next great read in your reader Hear.Me.Out!

30 days has September & there is the 30 Day Shred, so I'm thinking we need to join to two together and allow them to make our bodies better. You know when you opened this blog and saw Jillian's damn good body you wished that that was your face instead of hers. Right? I did.

Most of us need a good Kick in the Ass to get us over Summer & back into to the groove so we can get the pounds to Fall off! What better way to start than exercise? To quote Jillian from Twitter ~ "Shedding pounds isn't just a walk in the park. If you want to drop serious pounds and KEEP them off, you NEED to exercise." We can all count points until we're blue in the face, but we've got to WORK IT OUT! You don't even have to get up early to do it, because 20 minutes is 2 snoozes on my alarm clock and I get 2 snoozes just about every day.

So I vow to you that starting September 1st I commit to working out every day! Even if it means ONLY getting 20 minutes in, it's a start! It takes 3 weeks to form a habit, so the most i can hope for is being in a habit of working out daily. Now, I know you need rest days, so that's why I'm only proposing we get in 20 minutes a day.

Here's the Deal ~ I've been thinking about this a lot and coming up with a number of excuses that ALL of us {especially me} could use to get out of this, but there was this resounding GONG in my head - it's only 20 minutes a day! Trust me, I'm as busy as you, I work as hard as you {maybe harder}, and I'm as tired as you. SO ~ I'm leaving my biggest excuse in the comments as a way of putting it out there so I can get it out of the way for September.

Just think about it... I'd love for ANY & ALL of you to do the same! What's your excuse? Put it out there so we can get over it and move on! 7 days until we make the change!

Weekly Weigh In

You might be wondering where all the Fat Chicks have been this week and I'm here to inform that we are all still alive and kicking just took a little break from the old blog. Allie's been shopping for a new car {which I'll let her tell you all about}, Christina's been working and painting Chicago RED, Ryan's family reunion~ing it up in Orange Beach and I've been running!

This is my last weigh in post until I'm an official marathon runner! For that purpose I haven't been weighing, because I want to focus on my training and not worry about counting points and losing weight. I've been fluctuating between 3lbs, and it's been very nice to enjoy all the good pasta and bread and not get to enjoy it doubly through my middle.

With that said, I can't wait to get back on the point counting band wagon and start a fresh! September is the perfect time to start anew, so cut yourself some slack for AUGUST and lets get ready to watch the pounds fall off come September. Cheesy, huh? You liked it.

Weekly Weigh In

Hello Everyone!!

This past month has been a pretty steady one for me. I didn't lose any significant amounts of weight but have been able to lose a little bit. I was out of town quite a bit, and COMPLETELY overindulged for 4 days over my birthday weekend. I really gave myself a pass to eat whatever I wanted, and indulged in pizza, cocktails, birthday cake, fried foods and a huge chocolate malt from Dairy Queen. (gasp!) It is amazing how your body burns calories when you are on a regular workout regimen. Seven days later, and can you believe it...I actually STILL lost weight. Clearly I know that I cannot make that a regular occurrence, but those foods tasted even better knowing that I had a plan to not let it throw me off my workout schedule, and my weight loss goals!

Week: -1 pound
Total: -17 pounds
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Ryan: -2 lbs
Total: -11 lbs
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Lesli - lbs
Total: -14 pounds

dreading the home stretch

Hey FatChicks! I've been traveling for business for the past week & didn't have an extra second to devote to the old blog, but you've been on my mind and I've been needing your help. Above is a picture of me starting my long run on the Sunday that I was out of town. 16 miles on 1 single treadmill. If you're not a runner, translate that to mean ~ that SUCKS real bad!

I'm not far from my marathon... in a couple of days I'll be 1 solid month away. Hear me now ~ I've hit a WALL. It's a mental wall, because barring any humidity problems my physical self feels great. Half way into the above pictured run, I sat down on the treadmill and cried. At that point I had watched TV, listened to my iTunes, watched a movie, listened to Pandora, listened to NOTHING, but I could NOT focus. So, I turned my iPod onto Eye of the Tiger and rallied, but it wasn't easy.

I'm here today to find out what inspires you, what motivates you to keep moving forward? I've come this far and it kills me that after every run I think ~ that was a bad run. The worst part to me is that sometimes I even try and talk myself into quitting all together. I want to finish strong & I know I can do it, but I'm going to have to dig down deep. Can any of you help me do that?

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?)
______________________________________

Christina: 0 pounds
Total: -16 pounds
______________________________________

Lesli:0 pounds
Total: -14 pounds

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

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

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
____________________________________________

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

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!