I just wanted to thank you all again for the great month and let you know that I am going to continue training as a business. I would love it if you would consider recommending me to friends or anyone else that you may know of that is needing help or motivation on their own fitness journey. I am offering packages based on an entire 18 week program and have made my prices about 40% less than a session at Gold's Gym while offering 50% more time (Gold's is $37 for a half hour session).

I have two options

OPTION #1 --5 sessions a week for the entire 18 weeks= $1800
OPTION #2--3 sessions a week for the entire 18 weeks= $1350

All sessions are 1 hour in length and will be held in my home. If any of you are interested in additional training, your program will cost less because you have already done the first 4 weeks--Woo Hoo!

Before and week 4 photos

Kami.white@ironmail.org
mjsmith@scinternet.net
coryjoannaellis@msn.com
amanda.brlw@gmail.com
dabholmes@msn.com
kericallison@hotmail.com

These are the email addresses that I have on file for you. I emailed you your side by side pictures so that you can have a digital image for yourselves or to put online :)

I wanted to say a HUGE thank you for all of your energy and commitment to me this month. I loved every minute of spending time with you and watching you shine! Please keep with it and if you every consider "quitting", call me and let me remind you how awesome you are! Everyday is a choice and YOU are doing it!

Thank you for the gift basket. It had all of my favorites! You guys are the greatest!

Leslie

Feeling so, so, so much better

I am feeling so much better after our meeting today. I love the concept of "this is my before pic, this is my progress pic". I am not done. Thank you everyone for agreeing to post your pics. I now feel like the progress that we thought wasn't there, really is there. We busted our butts and it shows!!

Leslie, will you email me my side by side shot so I can post it on transformation, or tell me how to put the two together and I can create one myself?

Thanks again. I'm off to enjoy my free day!!

I cant Believe its already been 4 weeks

I am so greatful for this chance we have had to gain the knowledge and little succeses everyday with Leslie! Thank you so very much for your time and your sacrifice to be with us, you are the greatest Leslie you have touched my life more than you will ever know! I am sad to think of today as being the last day. After getting my results today I looked at it as a stepping stone to greater and better things to keep coming in the future, Im down 8 punds for the month, yes i would love double digets but i will take that, however, I was exited that my hip size had gone down 2", but I have a ways to go still. I know we have all worked hard and Im exited to see everyone transform through out this transformation!!

m1-EAS bar
m2-
m3-turkey sandwich with mustard on wheat bread
m4-yogurt and cottage cheese
m5-turkey wrap on spinach tortilla
m6-string cheese and apple

How am I feeling: sad that today is the last day, stressed with my hubby anyone up for taking him off my hands and beating him jk!! and ready to climb into a cave and shut the rock behind me. wow that doesnt sound good does it! sorry thats a little negative im a little stressed today!!
I am exited to see everyone in the morning!!

Joanna - 1-29-10

Ok - I've struggled so far today with being positive. I wasn't thrilled with my results and I need to do the same thing and remember that it does take time. I read a quote by Thomas Paine today that said,

"That which we obtain too cheaply we esteem too lightly." --Thomas Paine

This is hard and that's because it's worth it. If we work hard at it we will be even more grateful for it later in life as we're able to share it with others.

But I am realizing that my accomplishments are both physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional. Truthfully the results I've had mentally this month far out-weigh the physical results. I was at an UGLY place before starting this and though I'm not at 100% of where I want to be mentally and emotionally - I can't believe how far I've come in just 4 weeks. My self talk, my attitude, my optimism and hope for something better, my desire to help others feel good too - I feel like that is where my triumph has been.

Today's food:

1. cottage cheese & yogurt
2. carrots and protein shake
3. tuna with veggies and bagel
4. protein bar
5. soup and roll, green salad
6. ?

I think this past week I haven't been great at following through with what I planned to eat. I don't eat crap, but a lot of times I skip meals, or even replace with a healthy alternative (but not as healthy as I COULD be eating.) I also haven't been great about including enough veggies in my diet this last week.

I'll see you all tomorrow morning. Thanks ladies for being a part of this journey - you are all AMAZING!!!!!

Kami 1/29/10 Last day (snif, snif)

I can honestly say even though Leslie worked me to death I am SOOOO sad to see this end. Now the pressure is really on me to follow through and to be honest it scares me to death, because I am so used to letting myself down and not being accountable to myself. I am going to try to take this a day at a time and try not to look to far into the future to help me not get overwhelmed and to stay on track. I will try to live by the quote in my kitchen that says "Inch by inch life's a cinch" Mile by mile it's life's a trial.

As with Mindy I was a little disappointed in some of my assessing results, but that is my fault. I need to get it through my thick skull that results come with consistency and TIME! We live in such a "I need it and I need it now". When really things that come easy (and fast) usually aren't lasting. I really need this to last and so I'm going to need to work really hard for it and that is actually a good thing.

Meals:
(1) oatmeal/hard boiled egg
(2) apple/string cheese
(3) lean cuisine
(4) cottage cheese/ sweet potato
(5) protein bar/veggies

Gratitudes:
It is hard to describe in words how grateful I am for this life changing opportunity. I will forever be grateful for Leslie's sacrifice of time, sleep, family, LIFE, and much more on my behalf! What an amazing and selfless gift she have to each of us. Thank you for believing in me enough to take me on as one of the "chosen". We are all SO lucky and blessed!!!! I too will miss spending time with Leslie each day. She is an AMAZING person and I only hope that I can give back in some way like Leslie has given to me! Thanks for your awesome example!

Last Day

Today was great. After the measurements and assessment, I am slightly disappointed that my numbers (especially my weight) wasn't better. But this is the typical self-degrading attitude that I am trying to change. Instead of focusing on the positive changes, I am focusing on the fact that I don't have "The Biggest Loser" results. I know that is NOT realistic for me. So here is what I am forcing myself to focus on:

Endurance...I can run for more than 3 minutes consecutively. I could not say that before. I ran a 5K!

Strength...I know that I am stronger. I gained an inch in my biceps!! That is good.

Heart rate...I recovered quicker after the step test.

My percentages will only get better from here. I am determined to keep this up and I feel that I've gained the knowledge needed to succeed.

Leslie, thank you so much for this opportunity. Thank you for your sacrifice. I know it was a sacrifice for you and your family and you have given us more than you know. I'm sad that we won't see each other each day, but I know that you will share in my excitement as little victories come my way. Thank you for your support. THANK YOU!!

Tomorrow is the Last Day :(

I have such crazy mixed feelings about tomorrow being the last day. It has been such a blessing to be able to work with you. Thank you for allowing me to learn with you, get to know you , and share a piece of your journey. You have all amazed me with how hard you have worked. Thank you for trusting me.

The final meeting will be a my house Saturday morning at 8 am. It will be less than an hour. I will be giving you an evaluation form tomorrow during your last session. The evaluation means a ton to me and I would love it if you answered the questions as thoroughly as possible. Giving more info than you think is needed would be awesome!

We will be doing a cardio (last chance workout!) and then the final assessment. Please wear the same or similar clothing as your start pics and be ready to be amazed at your hard work and results! Imagine what another 14 weeks will bring!

The Race- Registration for the race closes on Feb. 1. If you are not signed up, you need to sign up before Mon. It is going to be a great time. I'm wondering if there is someone else that is willing to drive? My sister is havin a birthday party for my niece on that same day and I am really wanting to stay for it....? Let me know if you can help in that way.

Leslie

Kami 1/28/10

Cardio was HaRd this morning! I feel awesome now though! I can tell my metabolism is changing because I am feeling more hungry than I did in the beginning. A hot cup of herbal lemon tea helps when the hunger hits. Saturday is on it's way girls! FREE DAY is just around the corner. I am excited for assessments tomorrow. No matter what the outcome is, I know it is better than where I started.

Meals:
(1) Egg/ sweet potato muffin
(2) apple/1 oz. gouda cheese ( This is such a treat!)
(3) green salad/ egg whites/ little turkey/ ff/cal free dressing/ whole wheat roll
(4) protein bar ( The Adkins bars have lots of protein with only 1 or 2 grams of sugar)
(5) sweet potato/ cottage cheese

Gratitudes:
-Body For Life book. It is full of great information. Last night I read about being honest with yourself. Keeping my word to others is not optional, but for some reason I can lie over and over again to myself. I am going to stop treating myself this way and follow through on commitments I make to myself! I owe it to myself!
-I am grateful that for the first time in my life when I eat something terribly fattening (on free day), I am able to do so without the slightest feelings of guilt. Instead of beating myself up I can actually enjoy whatever I want and still feel good about me! This has been an unexpected surprise for me and I LOVE IT!

Joanna 1-28-10

Feeling great this morning. After spending a good part of the day yesterday icing my hamstrings I got feeling worse - they were cramping up even more. So I stretched and stretched and hopped on my treadmill last night at like 9:00. It felt so good! I ran a while but then they started feeling really sore again so I walked the rest - felt good to get in 2 more miles after having already done 2.5 that morning. Then I stretched, stretched and stretched some more and slept better than I have in months. It was hard to get out of bed after sleeping so well....

Today I'm still SO tight in my hamstrings, but it felt awesome to run some - in fact running felt better than some of the bending and lifting I do just through the day :)

Food today:

1. eggs and toast (have you guys tried this bread? It's pretty *light*, but it's good.)
2. protein bar
3. tuna salad made with carrots and celery
4. apple and string cheese
5. homemade soup with hamburger and rice....maybe a whole wheat roll?
6. ???

Lots to do today and it feels great to have attacked the day with exercise first. Doesn't it feel fantastic to have that done and out of the way?

Gratitudes:

1. conversations with others when they just get it too...when you share, you talk, and you help each other. I had several of those yesterday that left me with tears of gratitude.
2. snow shovels and a husband who normally takes care of that....but grateful for the extra workout I got doing it this morning :)
3. visiting teaching - I start visiting some new people today, with a new partner and I'm excited!

Kami 1/27/10

It's a great day for a 5K! I can't believe it didn't kill me! It actually felt really good and I left feeling energized!

Has anyone else noticed themselves singing this little song?
"Oh where oh where have my bigger boobs gone, oh where oh where could they be?"
So all of the sudden I have NO chest. My bra is drowning me! Wish the fat would come of other places instead, but I'll take what I can get!

Meals:

(1) egg beaters/veggie omelet........a smidge of granola
(2) apple/string cheese
(3) Smart ones meal
(4) protien bar
(5) another protein bar........this is not good I am just starving for some reason!
(6) ??? (not a protein bar though)


Feeling good about the exercise but stressed that our health insurance is changing to equal more $$ out of pocket for Preston's medicine. It is highway robbery I tell you! I am grateful he does have medicine that can help him. I just wish we it wasn't such a monster to pay. The most important thing is that he has his health is in tact.

Have a great HUMP day!

Joanna 1-27-10

Well I wish I was getting on here to scream and shout about my success doing a 5k on the treadmill today.....but instead I'm getting on to say I think I'm injured and had to walk the whole time. Bummer huh? I am pretty sure I've done a little more than just wear out my hamstrings - I'm starting to worry I might have done something more to them. They hurt to the touch, they hurt to stretch - the just HURT. Luckily my little boys are going to my mother-in-law's for the next few days so I am sitting in my bed (and scrapbooking) putting ice on them off and on and hoping I'll be back and ready to go soon. If anyone has any advice I'm open to anything - so share what you've heard works.

Food:

1. bagel & cottage cheese
2. yogurt & string cheese
3. lean cuisine
4. protein shake
5. tuna salad with celery and carrots & apple
6. protein bar

I'm hoping to make it through these next few days and eat healthy...like I mentioned - my kids and hubby are gone for the next few days. Normally I would be excited about some quiet time, time to not have to prepare meals for them, clean things up, stick to any kind of schedule....but I think normally that would also involve eating junk food, some meals out - indulging. So I'm hoping I won't eat out of the desire to indulge, or out of the fact that I'm alone. I'm trying to be aware of the situation and not eating out of boredom. Wish me luck.

Gratitudes -

1. Snowy weather on days when I don't have to drive in it. It really is beautiful!
2. Drinking water - we've had some water issues the last couple of days (now resolved) and it's so great to have yummy tasting water from the tap again!
3. The gift of prayer and knowing someone is listening.

Keri 1/27/10

I got a good workout on the treadmill today. I went to St. George yesterday and bought me some new running shoes only to find out today that they hurt my feet! I tried on lots of different ones and thought I had found the perfect pair, oh well--- I am more hungry today than I have been so it is a good thing that I am at work and not around food!

M1-Special K and boiled egg
M2-Smart Ones and clementine
M3-Yogurt and string cheese
M4-Chicken stir fry
M5-maybe I will try a protein shake

Gratitudes:

I am so thankful for my family and how they encourage me
I am thankful for Leslie and that she believes in me.
I am thankful that St. George is so close so that I can go shopping at real stores!!

5k Wednesday

Can you believe we did it??? I don't know if all of you are the same as me, but this is my first 5k ever. EVER!! I am so high right now. I cannot believe I did it. 43:47

Thanks, Leslie, for pushing me and for telling me over and over that I could do it. I feel so accomplished. I've been worried about Vegas, but now I KNOW I can do it and I'm looking forward to it!!

Joanna - 1-26-10

I'll echo Mindy's comments - HOLY HAMSTRINGS! This is the most sore I've been the whole time - I can hardly walk. I can't believe that I'd feel so sore from a few sets of dead lifts....but I truly feel like I'm walking like a 90 year old lady - and forget trying to bend over for anything....

I was really disappointed in how I felt in my run today. I felt great yesterday, but today I just hurt. I hurt all along it and I kind of wimped out. I had a really hard time breathing, saw stars, got dizzy, thought I was going to throw up...yeah - it felt lousy. Here's hoping tomorrow feels better and that I can pull it together.

Food today:

1. fruit/yogurt/protein shake (my hubby has started making these for me every morning while I'm working out. It helps me so much to have something he hands me as I walk in the door from Leslie's - love him!!!)
2. hamburger with brown rice, added green beans and some ketchup (not the *best* choice, but not the wrost either)
3. apple with peanut butter & beef jerky
4. cottage cheese & ?
5. cabbage salad with chicken
6. protein bar

Gratitudes:

1. FRESH air! I have my bedroom window open right now just because the fresh air feels so awesome. My house heats up like a sauna most days and on a nice one like today all I want is to let in some fresh air and breathe it in. Ahhhhh!
2. HOT baths - I could live in the bathtub. Give me a great big water bottle (or diet Dr Pepper - I won't lie), a good book, some music, a candle, maybe my laptop set up with movies on it....and I could just move in.
3. Quiet time. My hubby is taking my boys up north to my mother-in-law tomorrow for a few days. She's been begging to spend time with her grandkids, my hubby was heading up that direction anyway - and I get a few days of absolute quiet. I have a feeling I'm going to miss them right away, but I also know I won't miss all of the noise....

Kami 1/26/10

After feeling the bug coming yesterday I thought today would be awful, but I ran better than I ever have! It was amazing for me to hit 1.7 miles in 20 minutes and to run it all but the warm up. I've always believed that I could never run/swim distance. I was a sprinter in HS and would never have dreamed of ever doing anything that required much endurance because I didnt' have it. At age 33 I am getting some endurance for the first time in my life! It feels like I am breaking down a major thick, cement wall!

Meals:
(1) banana and string cheese
(2) Apple and string cheese
(3) smart ones meal
(4) ?
(5) ?

I feel great! I feel alive! I have muscle! YIPEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Gratitudes:
-I am so grateful to have had this opportunity to change my life in a positive way! This has meant the world to me. Leslie gave me something I wouldn't have given myself.
-I am grateful for my family's support and encouragement. Every last one of them have given me words of encouragement. Even my 12 year old boy! I want to be a good example of good health for them.
-I am thankful for hot herbal tea and veggies that fill and warm my tummy when ever I need them.
-

Mindy - Tuesday

Holy Hamstrings!!

I was so tight in my hamstrings this morning, I could hardly lift any weight. But after stretching out a TON, I felt really good by the end of the work out. Cardio was super hard for me today. I didn't feel near as strong as I did yesterday. Resting over the weekend must have helped.

I've found that the exercises I hate doing the most, are the ones that I need to be doing more. It just means I'm weak. But not for long!!

I love eating my oatmeal and egg beaters for breakfast. It is just so much more filling to eat a hot breakfast compared to eating cold cereal. I haven't had cold cereal since I started this 4 weeks ago. Those of you who know how much I used to love cold cereal know that this is a miracle for me.

I'm so grateful for the relationships we form in this life. I'm grateful for my family. I'm grateful for my husband forgiving me when I totally freak out on him for things that other people or other situations do to frustrate me. He gets the bad end of things quite often.

Keri 1/25/10

Today's workout was a killer, but nice to have done!! I can't believe that we have been doing this for almost a month, time has flown by!

M1-Special K and boiled egg
M2-Triscuits and string cheese
M3-WW yogurt and boiled egg
M4-Chicken tacos
M5-not sure
M6-not sure

I would love to keep the blog going and report in to everyone. I love being able to read everyones thoughts and know that I am not the only one going through struggles.

Have a great day!

1/25/10- Kami

Today I am not quite feeling myself. I woke up at 3am with a sinus headache and am starting to feel my lungs fill up with junk. The joys of being asthmatic are few, but am glad that I have been pretty healthy this long. I get more and more excited as I get closer to my goal weight and am excited to continue for the full 18 weeks.

Meals:
(1) yogurt/1 tbs. granola & 1 egg
(2) apple/string cheese
(3) hamburger/rice and 1 cup 0 point soup
(4) tuna wrap
(5) ???

Am starting to think about a plan of how I want to continue this. I own P90X and quite a bit of equipment, but my sister is begging me to join the gym with her. I would really like to continue with our accountability blog. It really helps me stay on track. What are your plans? I am reading the BFL book again and really loving it.

Happy Monday!

Joanna - 1/25/10

Food: (edited to go with what I ATE instead of what I planned...often different...)

1. Protein shake
2. cottage cheese & rice chips
3. chicken/bean soup, whole wheat roll & carrots
4. apple & string cheese
5. taco salad
6. protein bar

Leslie pushed me to a speed I didn't think I'd survive today when running - but I made it! It felt so great the first time we did it - I could feel my lungs expand with every breath. It felt great when those speed bursts were over too. And my hamstrings got worked over doing the dead lifts...but that felt good too. Felt like a great workout today!

Lots to do today, but I enjoy the fresh start Mondays give us. Here's hoping for an awesome week!

Monday - Major Milestone

Today I ran for 18 minutes straight. I cannot believe it. It is my longest stretch for sure. I didn't think I would ever be able to run that long, but it felt good. I felt good. I'm pretty proud of that.

UBWO was good. Does any one else hate triceps as bad as I do? That just means I need to work them more.

I am so excited for Friday. I really want to see where I am with my measurements and the body analysis.

Only 4 more days with Leslie, ladies. Let's make them great!

3 weeks down another 2lbs lighter

Hanging in there going strong! This last week was a great kick but workout week seemed a little tougher than normal. Im sure its because Leslie is pushing us that much harder wich is a good thing, Im hurting in places i didnt know I had! Happy with the results that are happening however, and the workouts are awesome...yesterday had a free day, which was great however one thing ive noticed is I cant eat remotely as much as I used to which is good I get full pretty quick! today I tried out the treadmill again and my shins are still getting to me, it looks like another week on eliptical. had a great core workout today!

m1-oatmeal with protein powder & egg beaters
m2-eas bar
m3-grilled chicken, baked potatoe, & salad
m4-banana & string cheese
m5-ham & cheese on wheat bread
m6-

how am I feeling; exited about the up coming weeks, tired from my baby not sleeping this weekend!

I am so greatful for my nice warm bed that Im about to go climb in!! and as always my wonderful family!!

Keri 1/22/10

YEAH!! I am down 9 lbs!! I was so excited, I hope it keeps going!!!!

M1-Special K
M2-Chicken Taco
M3-String cheese and whole wheat bread
M4-not sure it is just me and Kody tonight and Kailee
M5-not sure

I can't wait for free day tomorrow!! Todays workout was a bear but at least I did it!!

Mindy - Friday

So I didn't make it to Leslie's this morning either. Sorry Joanna. It's my husband's fault. He sure appreciates Cory's help though!!

I did get my cardio in. 2 min @ 3.5, 1 min @ 4, 10 yes I said 10 min @4.5, 4 min @ 3.7, 8 min @ 4.5 and 2 min @ 5 mph. 2 miles in 28:49.

I started on my LBWO and got the leg presses in, then fiddled around with trying to get my Bowflex machine set up for the other exercises and it took so long, I had to go get ready for work. So I'll try to finish up tonight. Night exercises are not my thing.

My diet has sucked today. I haven't been eating on time so I haven't eaten anything since my snack at 10 am this morning. I'm starving and starting to go into the prowling mode. I'll have to hit Subway on my way home.

Very excited for my free day tomorrow.

Joanna - 1/22/10

I was frustrated with the whole working out situation this morning. My hubby went back and forth about 300 times between last night and this morning, "I'll be home to watch the kids for your workout." "I'll be out working on snow removal and won't be back - make other plans." Drove me crazy. I had finally told Leslie I wouldn't make it and then right after my normal workout time I was on my treadmill and he showed up. UGH! So I'm sorry I didn't make it Leslie.

I did go on my treadmill and kicked butt - I was curious if I could do it as long as I wanted to and I did! I did 2 miles in 30 minutes. (for Leslie's benefit: 3 min @ 3.5 - run 5 min @ 4.2 - 2 min @ 3.7 - run 5 min @ 4.5 - 4 min @ 3.7 - 4 min @ 4.2 - 3 min @ 3.7 - 4 min @ 5.0!!!) Then I did 5 sets of deep squats (Cory kept telling me I wasn't going far enough down) for 30 seconds at a time - 10 second breaks. He said he'd help me - but he didn't push me long enough - he stopped @ 5 sets and I could have totally done more....I did 4 minutes of calf raises too. Anyway - I know it wasn't the workout I would have gotten with Leslie - but it felt great to have done the running on my own without Leslie there to talk me through it. I felt really good about that and good that I pushed myself more than I would have normally. I certainly sweat a bunch - so I always think that's a good sign.

And from there on - my day got hectic and crazy. Trying to keep up a good attitude but I'm kind of cranky and tired and need to get some healthy food in me...

Food:

1. protein bar & carrots
2. lean cuisine (I need to eat less of these - but they are portion controlled and I make sure to get ones with at least 18 grams of protein. Helps when I'm in a hurry and wouldn't eat healthy otherwise.)
3. protein shake made with fruit
4. cottage cheese and apple
5. Chicken chili soup and whole wheat roll (this also isn't the *best* meal I could eat - but we're having friends from out of town over and it was something I could cook in the crockpot, reasonably healthy and sounded delicious). I'll probably try to fill up with some green salad too...
6. ??

I must admit I am looking forward to my free day. For me though it's actually more about not keeping up with the 6 meals and not having to PLAN what I'm doing every step. I haven't been obsessing over anything in particular that I want to eat. But I do have a yummy breakfast planned and a very small batch of cookies I want to make.....I'm going to work on being in control still and not letting myself emotionally eat. I love the saying, "Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels."

The funny thing is that my son is catching onto free days. He asked me the other day if I could eat something and then said, "Oh yeah - it's not Saturday". In fact - he is OBSESSED with fruit snacks - he has eaten them almost every day of his life. He recently made his own goal that he won't eat them on school days or Sundays (so the other 4 days of his week are fine). But I liked to see him making that goal himself - it was cute.

Oh - and I had Cory get my scale out (he has it in hiding so I don't obsess too much - I can weigh in on Fridays only) to weigh in after my workout and I'm down a total of 6.4 lbs since starting!!! I was excited about that - but it's the non-scale victories I'm trying to focus on. I put my jeans on yesterday and they were quite a bit looser in the waist - that was exciting! The #'s on the scale only tell us part of the story - but as we're adding more muscle to our bodies we'll see other changes too. Isn't it so exciting!?!?!?

I noticed yesterday that I really just felt strong and pulled together. I don't know if it was that my pants were feeling loose, or if the workout just felt awesome - but I felt great! I still had some moments of frustration with a few things - but I didn't get down on myself about them. I had kind of an "I can do anything!!!" attitude and felt mentally AND physically stronger. And that right there makes all of this worth it.

Love all of you girls and the hard work and effort you're putting into things! Have a wonderful weekend!!!

Kami 1/22/10

I think the word "PLANK" should start with the letter "F" because all I wanted to do was swear when I did them this morning. I probably shouldn't tell you that, but it's the truth. Lower body circuit KILLED me this morning! I got home just in time to throw up in the kitchen sink. YUM! Now that the work out is over. I FEEL AWESOME!

(1) protein bar (didn't think I could hold anything to heavy)
(2) apple/string cheese
(3) chicken and squash
(4) yogurt and cottage cheese
(5) rice/hamburger and 0 point soup

I went to be at 8pm last night because I so done with the day. It felt so good this morning to wake up and not feel sleep deprived. I'm going to try this more often. Feeling so strong and in control today. The weaker moments seem to be getting a little less frequent witch is a nice surprise.

Gratitiudes:
-Snow! We sure need it!
-Visiting teaching: I really enjoyed visiting with my sisters this week. I know I learn much more from them than they do from me.
-Smiles: "If you see some one without a smile, give them one of yours"
-TGIF BABY!
Have an awesome weekend!!!

Joanna - 1/21/10

Hey ladies!

I put on my jeans this morning - and they were looser! It's given me a bounce in my step and made me feel like this really is working! I'm starting to see my abs again (still have so far to go - but at least I know they're there!), I can feel a difference - and I love it!

Food:

1. fruit/yogurt/protein shake (thanks again to my hubby - sure love him!)
2. Lean Cuisine (this one is YUMMY!)
3. Protein bar
4. cottage cheese and yogurt
5. ???
6. ???

Today I DEFINETLY reached burn out with my muscles!!! But I LOVED the rush of adreneline and blood I could feel rushing into my muscles afterwards. We'll see if I'm excited about it tomorrow when I can't raise my arms up....

Gratitudes:

1. My hobbies - I love being creative and making the digi scrapbook stuff I do. I love the feeling of accomplishment after finishing a new project and I'm grateful for the creative teams I get to be on.
2. Water - I'm so glad I'm getting into the habit of drinking more water again! I don't know what I've been doing this past year as I've dehydrated my body....
3. SNOW! YAY - so excited to be looking outside and FINALLY seeing it come down.

1-21-10 Debbie

Hey everyone, I'm still here. Sounds like all of you are doing great. Congrats!! My life has been crazy this week. Leslie I still love your workouts. But I'm really sore this week. Be there tomorrow at 8am*. Joanna and I switched out our times, it helps us both. It is hard to change to many things that I know I won't keep up. Remember the changes you make you want to be comfortable to keep up with and not to just get to a certain weight or size. Still need to live your life, but just healthier and happier. This is just a thought I had to share. Thanks for not giving up on me Leslie, you are awesome!!
Have a Great Day-Everyone! :)

1/21/10-Kami

Whaz up ladies?

I've been a overly swamped this week and haven't been reporting on the blog like I should, but I have been eating clean. Hopefully things will slow down at least a smidge after Friday.

Food:
(1) hard boiled egg, yogurt with a sprinkle of homemade granola.
(2) apple/string cheese
(3) salad with a little turkey and egg whites, whole wheat roll
(4) yogurt, a sprinkle of granola and some sort of protein.
(5) grilled chicken and zuchini

-I am feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. Some weeks are just like that. I'm really needing a nap, but it won't be happening until at least Saturday. I went to scratch an itch on the back of my leg (quad) the other day and grasped onto a pretty big muscle (at least for me)! It was so fun and so unexpected!

Gratitudes:
-I'm grateful for pretty nice kids at least most of the time. I'm glad they chose me to be their mother, but sometimes wonder if they made the best choice for them. I love them to pieces and am glad they love me even if I'm nuts!

LIA SOPHIA:
I am hosting a jewelery party tomorrow at my house at 4:00 pm. If you'd like to add some fun accessories to your new body stop by! If jewelery is not your thing that's okay too! Feel free to stop by and pick up some treats for your "free day" I am making caramel brownies, snowballs and some other junk that I will be pigging down on Sat. as well. Have a great Thursday!

Keri 1/20/10

Holy cow, I can't believe this month is almost over!! It has gone by crazy fast!

M1-Special K cereal and boiled egg
M2-Special K cereal and boiled egg ( it was easy!!)
M3-Chicken tacos
M4-Bran muffin and string cheese
M5-not sure

This post is short and sweet!! Just didn't want anyone to think I had gone off the deep end!

Joanna - 1-20-10

I keep telling myself I need to get on here and post my food - but then I get distracted. And I kept saying I wasn't going to eat until I got on and PLANNED. Luckily I gave into hunger before that happened. Here's today's food:

1. protein smoothie made with carbmaster yogurt, protein powder and fruit
2. green salad with a little oil and vinegar dressing, onion alternative bagel with cream cheese & turkey.
3. pear & beef jerky
4. cottage cheese with rice chips
5. leftover stirfry from last night
6. protein bar

Feeling great today - emotionally. However, I feel like I rode a horse for the last 2 weeks straight - everything from my knees to my waist hurts. Good hurt, but it's getting worse by the hour. It's funny to me how I feel a workout 24+ hours after more than right after. But I keep walking around like a cowboy who has been in a saddle too long and I've avoided the stairs as much as possible today. But I felt great to do cardio for 30 minutes, felt like I'm catching on a bit more to the running and pushing through my side cramps a little longer each time.

You know what? I love how we learn little things about ourselves in places we wouldn't expect to. For instance - I have always said that I hated to workout out with other people. I've always claimed that I work better when I don't have to talk to others, that I do better on my own at my own pace. But I'm finding that the best way for me to run harder/further is for Leslie to sit and talk to me through our workouts. If she talks to me through running - I will go longer. I don't know if it's because I love to talk (which I do....) or if it's because when she is engaging me in conversation I actually breathe better than if I'm quiet and to myself. When I am talking it's natural for me to work harder on breathing. I also know that it keeps my mind off the pain/discomfort when I'm focusing on a good conversation. So all these years of thinking I like to run/walk/etc on my own....I think was flawed. Now if I can just find someone to sit next to my treadmill and talk my ear off every day - I think I can keep up with this. :)

Gratitudes:

My husband! I'm grateful for his thoughtfulness this morning when he made me a smoothie and had it waiting when I got home. To me that smoothie was worth much more than a dozen roses or any expensive he could have bought. To have supported me with a healthy breakfast and have it waiting - made my heart melt.

Clothes in my closet. I'm grateful that I have some stinking cute clothes in my closet that at some point I'm going to fit into again :) It gives me something to look forward to in the weeks/months to come.

Legos - I am so stinking grateful for the inventor of Legos - finally a toy my 4 year old will entertain himself with for hours!

Have a GREAT day ladies! You are all inspiring to me and are all such awesome people. GROUP HUG! :)

Mindy - Wednesday

I was not able to work out with Leslie this morning. Jesse was out plowing snow. So here's what I did at home.

(This is mostly for Leslie's benefit so she can track me)
Treadmill: 1 min. @ 3.5 mph, 1 min. @ 4 mph, 7 min @ 4.7 mph, 3 min. @ 3.7, 7 min @ 4.7 mph, 4 min. @ 3.7 mph, 3 min. @ 4.7 mph, 2 min. @ 3.7 mph, 1 min. @ 3.5 mph. Total distance 2.1 miles.

Abs: 20 Ball transfers (feet to hands extend over head), 20 crunches, 20 leg extensions on bench, 20 side twists on bench (10 each side) repeat each exercise 3 times. The only one I felt burned out was the side twists. I think I'll do P09X Abs tonight. I didn't feel the burn out like I wanted to.

I'm happy to say that I felt tired and sweaty (just like I do at Leslie's) and I think once this 4 weeks is over, I'll be able to push myself and continue to make progress. I know how bad it's supposed to hurt at the end of a rep. I know what burn out feels like. I was scared that I would fizzle out, but I got up and got my exercise in before breakfast. I can do this!!

Meals will probably be the same as yesterday. I don't really change it up. These foods are working for me and I like them so why mess with it if things are going good, right?

Have a happy day!!

"Typically with weight training alone, the fat loss is equal to the muscle gain, give or take a few pounds. Certain dietary modification can have much greater impact on fat loss than with weight training alone. The ideal program for fat loss would include the combination of proper diet, weight training, and cardio exercise. " I was just reading this and I thought that I would share! It feels good to be on the right track doing all 3 components of permanent weight loss!

Fun Quote Regarding the 5k

I heard this quote once and I tell it to myself all the time, so I thought I'd share, "Run if you can, walk if you need it, and crawl if you must........ but NEVER quit!" You can do it!

Keri 1/19/10

Had a great workout, it was hard!! I just have to keep telling myself No Pain No Gain!!
Starting to feel better and getting my energy back. Made a big batch of 6 week bran muffin batter to put in the fridge. Yummy!!

M1-Cream of Wheat Healthy Grain (not the greatest but it was ok)
M2-Chicken tacos
M3-boiled egg and bran muffin
M4-Shrimp tacos
M5-not sure

Gratitudes:
I am still doing this!! YEAH!!
Nice warm shower on my sore muscles
My kids--they are awesome!! I love them tons!!
My husband--he will do anything for me!!
Can't wait for Saturday so I can have a good FREE day and not be sick.
My new pantry so I can get organized and do assignment 2!

Joanna - 1/19/10

Yesterday was a tough day for me. I woke up feeling horrible and missing my workout. I took stuff for my headache and felt better by about noon. We got together with our great friends who live in Idaho for the day and it was AWESOME - but I wasn't prepared and that turned into not eating clean. I was disappointed in myself....but at the same time I did the best with what I had. I tried making reasonable choices. I'm actually really grateful for the experience - it taught me that I need to be more in control of my food choices, that I need to be prepared for spontaneity (is that possible?), and that sometimes - we just have to live. And we can live and not completly blow it. I don't want to live a lifestyle where I have to not spend time with the people I love - but it will take some changes in me, and letting them know where I'm at right now in life. For the most part I didn't let this little bump get me down - and that's a good thing.

Today though - it's ALL clean eating!

1. Alternative whole wheat bagel with 1/2 serving weight watchers cream cheese (these are both REALLY GOOD!) with cottage cheese.
2. Chicken lean cuisine with baby carrots
3. protein shake - (1 cup strawberries, 1/2 cup raspberries, carb master yogurt and 1 scoop vanilla protein powder)
4. jerky & apple
5. stir fry with chicken, carrots, celery, pepper served over a small portion of brown rice.
6. Mint protein bar

Workout: I felt SO great leaving Leslie's. I can feel it - but I felt strong and I felt good. I also ran for longer today (consecutively) than I have in the past. Sure, my pace wasn't all that fast - but I didn't stop and it felt GREAT! I am also freaked out about the 5k....but I figure just DOING it will give me power and hopefully propel me to more in the future. I left Leslie's feeling awesome - lots of adrenaline and just feeling much better than I did most of last week. YAY!

Gratitudes: Good friends! We got together last night with friends that we hadn't seen in over a year. There were several things that affected our relationship in the last year and I was actually really stressed about getting together with them - worried how it would be (probably why I had the massive headache yesterday morning). But luckily we were able to look past the things that I was worried about (or at least ignore them for the day) and it was as if nothing had happened. I'm so grateful for eternal friendships like that!

I'm grateful for modern medicine. I know a lot of things can be cured/helped by diet and exercise - but there are also some things in life I'm grateful for medicine for!

Sunshine - wow - what a difference a day with sunshine makes! Looks beautiful outside today - looking forward to feeling this energy all day long.

Mindy - Tuesday 1/19/10

I was getting in the shower today and there is a huge mirror above my tub and I was looking at myself and I am so happy with what I see. I see PROGRESS!! I'm not where I want to finish up, but I am getting there.

LBOW is always hard for me. My heart feels like it's gonna rip right out of my chest. That's annoying. But I powered through and only missed one set of lunges cuz I ran out of time. I'll finish them tonight.

Meals:

1: Oatmeal cooked with dehydrated apples, cottage cheese
2: Protein shake
3: 1 cup Taco soup with 1 Tbs. sour cream (NO CHEESE!! waaaaah)
4: Protein bar
5: WW english muffin, cottage cheese/pineapple

Meals Yesterday

1: Oatmeal cooked with dehydrated apples, 1/3 cup egg substitute
2: Yogurt, string cheese
3: Protein bar
4: Protein bar
5: 1 cup Taco soup

Still very grateful for this opportunity. I'm starting to get nervous about the 5k in Vegas. I don't know if I'll be able to run it. I guess if I have to walk, that's ok. Still so grateful for my cute kids. I don't know if I have more energy and that brings patience, or if they are just being so dang cute and not driving me crazy! I love them!! So grateful for all that Jesse does to help me out every day.

week 3 starting it off right! tired & ready for the weeks chalenges!:)

The circuit this morning was a major kick butt workout, at the very last balancing act I decided it was perfect timing to get a migraine kicked off! at least I was able to finish the workout first, I came home and have been laying down most of the day. Doing better tonight!
m1-
m2-banana
m3-cottage cheese & yogurt
m4-eas bar
m5-grilled chicken, green beans, & brown rice
m6-cottage cheese & banana

Im feeling tired and hoping my shins are better overnight. Want this headache to be totally gone and a little stressed and need a get away! However I am greatful for all the many blessings in my life, this beautiful place we live and the fact that I have legs that can work and arms that can lift and eyes to see the beautiful things life has to offer!! I decided sometimes when my days not the greatest be greatful for the things we do have right!!

Leslie 1/18/10

Hello sisters! Andy just put Kylee and I through the same circuit that you did this morning and man was it fun. Lots of yelling, sweating, a cuss or two .....but having done it all out, I FEEL GOOD! I hope all is well with you tonight. You are all doing so great and looking so strong!

Kami 1/18/10

Well, I started off my "day off" with a 5 am workout! I wouldn't have had it any other way! Keeping to routine is really important for me to stay on track. Leslie kicked my butt with the circut this morning! WOW, it was hard! Then I came home and jumped right back in bed for another few hours. It was awesome!

Food:
(1) egg beaters, veggie omelet and 1 mini 100% whole wheat pancake (no syrup or butter)

(2) fuji apple and string cheese (Washington apples are for sale next to Burger King while supplies last for $22 a box. Awesome deal and they are gorgeous!)

(3) sweet potato/cottage cheese

(4) protein bar

(5) ???

Gratitudes:
-I am thankful to have the day off today. The rest of this week is going to be killer, so I'm so glad to have today to prepare.
-I am grateful for my wood burning stove that is keeping me warm on this chilly day.
-I am thankful that I get to teach Brinley and Brecklyn how to make bread today.

Have a great Monday!

Keri 1/18/10

I was sick all weekend so my free day wasn't the greatest--Karl did go get me a salad at Costa Vida but they forgot the dressing!! I have had a yucky head cold, sore throat, headache and cough. I finally am feeling better today just a little sluggish still. I definately could tell during the work out this morning.
I really need to go to the store today--not much to eat at this house. I made oatmeal this morning and then realized there was no milk!! Yuck! Ate about 1/2 of it and then felt sick. Not sure what my deal is--hopefully this pucky feeling goes away soon!

Not really sure what I am eating today--
M1-oatmeal
M2-
M3-
M4-
M5-

Hope everyone has a great Monday!! Yeah for no school!!

Assignment # 2 is ready

I hope you had a fun weekend and freeday! We are now ready to do assignment #2. Try to get this done withing the first few days of this week and we will move onto #3.

http://www.transformation.com/challenge/2010/week-2/

week 2; 4 punds down yea

Its been a great 2 weeks so far however, I have these lovely shins that we cant decide if they are shin splints or just crazy pain, I hope it goes away quick I miss the treadmill & running. However I have lost 4 pounds this week I am really exited about that!! I have to say Im pretty impressed with my ability to stick with clean eating this time around havent had a single mess up yet and that has always been my down fall so Im pretty exited about that! I love working out it feels like the only time I get to spend on me the rest of the time it feels like nothing can get dont unless I do it myself, im getting a little burned out k maybe a lot burned out. Im sure nothing else any other mom doesnt go through just tired lately.

Today:
Cardio 20 on eliptical(man I miss the treadmill)
LBWO

m1-oats cereal & skim milk w/ protien powder
m2-
m3-baked potatoe w/ cottage cheese
m4-apple & sting cheese
m5-chicken breast, baked potatoe, & green beans
m6-cottage cheese & yogurt

How am I feeling- exited about the progress Ive made so far and know I will continue to make, tired have had a sick baby , & stressed. Is that possible to feel all that at once!!

I am greatful for this chance to rediscover myself! For my free day tomarrow, and great kids and a husband who loves me!!

OH MY GOSH!!

Can I just say that I love all of you guys!! I am sitting here laughing and crying and just feeling such a love for everyone! We are all going through this to be better and we are all feeling so much the same. It is just such a great bonding experience for me. I know that we are never together, but with the daily posts, I feel like we are. This opportunity is such a blessing for me and I cannot, CANNOT believe that I have the chance to do this. It is truly something that I've been wishing for since I saw Leslie's transformation. So don't let anyone tell you that dreams don't come true. SO CORNY!!! I'm a dork.

Thanks everyone. Enjoy your free day tomorrow!!

Are We There Yet?

Week one is exciting and fun! Week two is….well, a LOT harder. You are feeling exhausted and probably sore. It hurts to walk up and down the stairs and probably even doing your hair. Your body is working overtime to break down your muscle fibers so that it can build them up to be the stronger, leaner, and shapelier you! You feel a lot more tired and are wondering where all the energy everyone says comes from working out is to be found. After a solid two weeks of exercise and clean eating, you are wondering why you aren’t skinny yet. Shouldn’t I be able to see my abs by now? You are wondering if all of the work is worth the small progress that you have seen? All of this is normal and it is worth it! Our bodies did not get into bad shape overnight, and they won’t be fixed in 2-3 weeks. This is not a quick fix program, but it is a permanent fix program. The results come slowly and consistently. Your heart is getting stronger. Your lungs are more willing to do the work. Your muscles are beginning to re-develop. Your appetite is adjusting. Your addictions are holding less power over you as you continue to meet their demands! You are becoming FREE! There is a cost to freedom and you are paying it! Day in and day out you are honoring your intention to build a better you because you know that it matters in your life. You were born to thrive, to serve and to love. You were born to inspire others to also honor who they were meant to be. Hold tight to your vision and purpose. This happens one day at a time and it isn’t without a little struggle, but I promise you, it gets easier AND it is worth it!

Joanna 1/15/10 - (EDITED with a little better attitude)

My post earlier this morning:

I showed up - and today that has to be good enough.

Struggling
today, feel like crap - more emotional than physical - but some physical too,
kind of want to quit - how's that for honesty?

Here's hoping for a
better rest of the day.

OK - so here's my REAL post for today :).

Food:

1. Snickers protein bar
2. granny smith apple with a *little peanut butter* and cottage cheese
3. beef jerky & yogurt
4. rice/meat - green salad
5. mint protein bar
6. ??? possibly a fruit/protein shake....we'll see if I get to it

How I'm feeling: LOVED, overwhelmed, frustrated, grateful, tired, inspired.....a whole bunch of feelings. I won't bore you with all of them - but I haven't had one of the best attitudes today. A bunch of things all rolled into one - and I just have been feeling down on myself, frustrated with my abilities with working out, irritated that I wasn't responding the kindest to my kids - lots of feelings. I don't know if any of you get that way - but basically just a day when I wanted to cry and cry and hide for the day.

So I got to Leslie's and guess what I did? CRY. So embarrased, but it was one of those times that the flood gates just started. I felt silly at first - but then I remembered something - Leslie LOVES me! (She loves all of us!) I don't know what it is about Leslie - but she has this ability to make me feel like I can do it. I've always felt that from her - ever since we became friends years ago. I feel like Leslie sees me very differently from how I see myself. I think she sees me in a more eternal sense....more like our Heavenly Father sees us.

So that got me thinking - wouldn't it be wonderful if we could all see ourselves and our potential as our Heavenly Father does? It must just break his heart when he sees us belittle ourselves, or be down on ourselves. He must just ache for the days when he can hold us and remind us of who we are - DAUGHTERS OF GOD! We are worth it!

And even though I've still had some more grumpy moments - I am trying to see myself with more confidence and remind myself that I CAN DO IT!

Gratitudes:

1. The eternal princple that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us dearly. Without that, sometimes it might not quite be worth some of the garbage we go through....
2. Friends - people who loves us anyway. People who pray for us, lift us up, and call to say, "Can your son come play while the other one is down for a nap?" :)
3. Living here in sweet Enoch Utah. I complain at times - but it's a pretty awesome place and today I'm grateful it's where I'm at!
4. Down 4.8 lbs since we started - and that's even with my TOM...which I'm hoping means I've lost more :)

Kami 1/14/10

Today was hard! My lower body didn't feel as strong as usual and my core strength absolutely sucks! Glad to know these things so I can strive to improve. I was scared of the scale today, but I did loose although not as much as I would have liked to. It is hard to work so hard and not get instant gratification, but I know they will come and are worth the wait. I just have to stay committed! I am scared about what will happen after the 4 weeks. Is it possible to do this program at home (without gym equipment) and still get results???

Food:

(1) weight control oatmeal & 1/2 scoop protein
(2) apple & string cheese
(3) hamburger/rice & 0 point soup
(4) cottage cheese & yougurt
(5) ???

Gratitudes:
-My Friday workout is OVER! We made it through another week ladies! WOW!
-Thankful to have Monday off to get things done around the house.
-SO THANKFUL FOR FREE DAYS and so glad that tomorrow is one of them.
-Thankful for people who are kind and compassionate. Their example teaches me how to be a better person.

Mindy - Friday

Ok. So I totally sounded like I was having a baby during the LBWO this morning. Leslie, apologize to your family for me!! Ha

So happy that today is Friday. Last day of work. One more work out for the week. Free day tomorrow.

Kade needs to eat now so I'll try to post my meals later.

Have a great day everyone!!

Keri 1/14/10

Help!!!! My arms.....

M1-protein bar
M2-chicken tacos with lots of lettuce and salsa YUM!
M3-corn tortilla and string cheese
M4-not sure
M5-not sure

I am not very prepared today with my meals, hopefully it doesn't come back to bite me!

Gratitudes:
I was able to get my hair done today so I could go to work!
No school on Monday!
Kelton isn't failing 2 classes now just 1!

Kami 1/14/10

As I am sitting here typing away my left peck/shoulder muscle is quivering! That must be a good sign right! I agree with Leslie, upper body is my favorite! It was such a nice surprise to only have 10 minutes of cardio today! I can do anything for 10 minutes! lol

Food:
(1) veggie omelet & whole wheat muffin
(2) apple & string cheese
(3) salad w/veggies and cottage cheese, whole wheat roll
(4) hard boiled egg, fresh broccoli dipped in costco hummus (it's da bomb)
(5) who knows???? Something clean though!

Feeling great! Looking forward to tomorrow being the last day of the week! Scared for lower body, it so KILLS me. The hour is so hard, but the rest of the day feels so good!

Gratitudes:
-31 sweet little people who I am blessed to share my days with. I love each and every one of them and am so proud of their daily accomplishments.
-Grateful that none of my loved ones or myself aret in Haiti, but so devastated for the victims of such a tragedy. It's hard to watch and feel so helpless.
-Enjoying the snow flurries though they have been few and far between.
Keep on keeping on! We can do this! TGIF! (well, almost)!

Joanna - 1/14/10

So yesterday was hard for me on several levels. I felt like I had kind of failed my workout - even though I still showed up. That kind of stuck with me for the day - just being down on myself and feeling blah.

This morning I was feeling crabby too and was just commenting to my hubby how I think almots all of my crankiness was related either to hormones or low blood sugar. I am looking forward to getting a hang of keeping my blood sugar more level and not so many spikes in it. Hopefully that will help me not only with the weight/food issues - but also help with my grumpiness.

Anyway - I also quickly remembered that hormones majorly affect my dieting and even more so - my attitude. I'd been feeling the last couple of days that I hadn't been loosing as much as I'd like - but when I realized what time of the month it is I felt a lot better. My weight typically goes up and I feel bloated - which would explain a lot. Including the headache I ended up with last night. It was the first headache I've had since cutting back on my caffeine almost 2 weeks ago (which is a miracle!) - so even though I was frustrated with the headache, it was good to find the reason - and it also explains I think how I have felt with my workouts the last 2 days, and even my motivation and attitude. Dang hormones - you'd think as women if we have to go through all this with our bodies that the hormones could help us LOOSE weight rather than gain it! (Grrrrr)

Food:

1. lean cuisine (didn't eat till about 11:45 - not a good thing!)
2. protein shake with fruit
3. cottage cheese & light bagel
4. carrots, yogurt & jerky
5. hamburger with rice, green salad
6. ???

Gratitudes:

• comfortable clothes - I love that the dress code for stay-at-home moms is pretty lax
• hot rollers - the only way my hair will curl
• days when I get to put my makeup on, get dressed AND do my hair! Those days are fewer and further between lately....

Mindy Thursday

I too, am feeling unmotivated. Hopefully it's just a second week thing and we can all get past it.

I LOVED 10 minute cardio today. That is what I was dreading and why I didn't want to show up this morning. But it was great and not bad at all. I can do 10 minutes. Arms were HARD. I'm still a little shaky. But I know my arms look bad so I'm excited to work them so hard.

M1: oatmeal w/ dehydrated apples, small veggie omelet (is that how you spell that?)
M2: yogurt, (someone at work ate my dang string cheese...kill!)
M3: home made rice/chicken/veggie soup
M4: power bar
M5: ?
M6: ?

Gratitudes: My family and the support I get from them and my awesome friends!! Thanks. I love you guys!!

Keri 1/13/10

I thought I was going to die yesterday, today is much better!! The food thing was a lot easier today also.

M1-Breakfast burrito

M2-Steak with corn tortillas (thanks for the tip Leslie)

M3-oops skipped this one

M4-Chicken tacos with fat free sour cream, salsa and lettuce YUMMY!!

M5-Protein bar and a cup of milk (oops messed up again!)

I am thankful to have this opportunity, it has done wonders for me so far!

I am thankful for my job, someone else gets to listen to me complain about my soreness instead of Karl!

I am thankful for Leslie, I know she gives up lots of time for us and we are truly grateful. (I think I speak for everyone!)

I am thankful that I have the energy to do the workout.

Kami 1/13/10

Okay ladies I've his a "new low" I actually ate 3 raisinettes off of the FLOOR tonight! Kache dropped them probably stepped on them, but I DIDN"T CARE! Thank heavens he only dropped 3!!! Man they tasted good! Smashed and all!

Food:

(1) oatmeal with 1/2 scoop protein

(2) apple and string cheese ( I have to eat this in front of my students. I lie to them and say I have "blood sugar" issues.......What a freaking liar I am! lol

(3) rice and seasoned lean hamburger with 0 point soup

(4) Samon, green beans & whole wheat muffin

(5) triscuits and string cheese

(6) 3 miserable, smashed raisonettes off the floor!!!!!!!!!!! (Where is my pride)


Today my right arm is SUPER sore. Hoping tylenol and heating pad make it go away. Didn't feel motivated AT ALL to workout today, but left so thrilled that I pushed through it. I took a cat nap at 4:30 pm and those are always refreshing.

gratitudes:
-The examples from all of you! Doing this together has made all of the difference for me
- So thankful that Heavenly Father sent Leslie my way! What a blessing she is and a great friend!
-Kisses from my kids and hubby. I can't get enough of their kisses!

Have a great Thursday!

5K on February 6th

Dear Friends,

Want to come run a 5k with us in Las Vegas on February 6? It will be more fun than you think, and we’ll come back from it feeling really great. We are going to meet at my house 5153 Hillcrest Circle (in Enoch, Utah) at 5:45 AM on February 6. We’ll carpool and caravan from my house down to Las Vegas. Then we’ll run the race, which starts at 9:00 AM Vegas time. After the race, we’ll go do a FREE DAY lunch together and head back home. We should be back to Cedar by 4:00 or so in the afternoon. If you want to come, click on the link below, go to Participant Registration and follow the prompts. If you get confused, I added some step-by-step instructions. The race is 20 dollars if you do not want to be timed and 22 dollars if you do want to be timed. Please invite as many people as you can to join us on our transformation team to raise money for make-a-wish foundation. If you have anyone that would like to join, have them use our link so that we will all be on the same team! I can't wait, you are all working so hard.

I sure hope you’ll come!!!

Leslie


Here’s what you do:

1- Click this link, or copy this link you’re your toolbar http://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=320283&lis=1&kntae320283=A73E532CDDF64F82A889ADC627C7F51E&supId=280256509

2- On the left-hand side of the page, under VISITORS click the link called “Participant Registration.”

3- Agree to the waiver agreement that comes up.

4- Click “Join a Team”

5- Use the drop-down menu and scroll down to select “Team Transformation.com”

6- Then enter in your personal information and pick “Team 5k Timed” or "Team 5k Untimed” either one is fine.

7- Choose a t-shirt size.

8- If you want to donate a bit more, cool, if not, you don’t have to.

9- If you want to get others to help you raise money for Make-a-Wish, that’s fine. If not, you don’t have to.

10- Click submit.

11- Enter your credit card information.

12- Confirm that the information is right and then click Continue. That’s it!

Joanna - 1/13/09

Well I've been slow in posting today....I feel slow at everything I've been doing lately - slow and sore. But the good news for today is that I showered, put on makeup AND did my hair! Seriously - a pretty big deal. Since I've been working out my morning schedule has been thrown off and most mornings it's shower and then the makeup, hair - that's optional and I haven't been getting BOTH done most days - it's one or the other. So I'm glad I actually did all of it today!

Food:

1. yogurt & string cheese
2. cottage cheese w/ rice chips
3. lean cuisine w/ carrots
4. apple & beef jerky
5. whole wheat pasta, chicken, light sauce & steamed broccoli
6. either a protein shake or a protein bar

How I'm feeling: I'm feeling slow. I had to slow down my cardio today because of cramps from not breathing right (sometimes not breathing....) Even though I got 2 miles in I didn't get more, and I didn't run the whole time. I need to focus on the fact I went 2 miles, and that I showed up - but sometimes it's easier for me to focus on what I didn't accomplish...(something I need to work on). I'm feeling really tired today and yesterday and that has made me cranky and quick to snap at my kids (and their friends....) - that makes me feel bad. I wish there was time in the day to be a good mom AND a person. It's hard to do both, but I guess that's why we end up with a lifetime to work on it - right?

Gratitudes:

• A garage door opener with a new battery - we thought our garage door opener was breaking and I had to just keep getting out and doing it manually. Ha - it just needed a new battery and is working like a charm.
• HOT baths - wish there was more time to soak in them.
• Things that make me laugh. My family keeps sending me links to silly little short videos online. This video had me cracking up - all of the Penelope Saturday Night Live clips are HILARIOUS! Make sure you laugh some today!

Eating Food

This has been the hardest thing I struggle with since the turn of the century. Like Keri, I am following Weight Watchers plan. I've tried just about everything else. The one thing I have noticed is that 6 meals is alot better for me, then I don't get as hungry. The only thing when I am running around is that I forget to take a snack. Ugh! So then I become so hungry I could eat someone's arm! I'm trying to do better. I too like crunchy, but I get tired of carrots and celery, so I changed to cereal (Mini-Wheats) and rice cakes. It is actually helping. Has anyone had a really good tasting protein bar? And which protein powder tastes good?

Debbie 1/13/10

Thanks to Joanna for helping me finally get on this blog. I'm computer handicapped! Who knows where my comments went to all of you. Sorry about that. :( The workout today was gruelling but good. I need to get into better shape and better health. Leslie has been amazing to work with. She is a great personal trainer. Sounds like everyone is doing good. Keep up the good work!

Feeling bla

I haven't posted for the last few days. I am feeling really down and frustrated. Why do we, as mothers, put so much pressure on ourselves to be perfect and do more than we should, all the time? I feel inadequate and that makes me even more frustrated because I know I shouldn't be feeling like that. It's all a stupid circle that goes round and round. If I were to really look deep, I'm sure I would find Satan somewhere in there telling me all the dark lies he can. I have to stop listening.

Anyway, know this. I am eating clean and I am exercising. I'll try to gather myself up and find my positive attitude and get over this stupid slump I'm in.

Hey Ladies! Thank you Joanna for helping me out, it has taken me a bit but maybe weve finally figured out how to get me on here!! Now if I can figure out how to get my picture on here! Had a great and hard workout today, still nice and sore from yesterday, the sweating thing im all over that!
Meals:
B-egg white breakfast burrito on corn tortilla with salsa
s-cottage cheese & yogurt
L-grilled chicken, cottage cheese & oranges
s-string cheese, yogurt
D-whole wheat spaghetti w/ turkey meat in marinara & broccoli
s-

I am greatful for a wonderful family that will eat with me and a husband that is working to be better right along with me! For great friends who see better in me on the days I may not see so much in myself and for knowing i can push myself!!

Sweat and Metabolism

Ok ladies - a couple of us commented about sweating a bunch today. I thought I'd share what I read in a book earlier this week. It's from the book "Get With the Program!" by Bob Greene (He either is or was Oprah's trainer). Anyway - this is what it said,

"How do you know if your metabolism is changing? Unfortunately, since metabolism refers to a rate of burning calories, there is no way to measure it directly. However, there are subtle cues that will tell you that it's changing. First of all, it has to increase while you're exercising; that's a given. Over time as you gradually increase the amount and intensity of exercise that you're capable of doing, you can assume that your metabolism is increasing. But you will also notice a change in the way you perspire. When your metabolism increases, you will not only perspire more during exercise, but you will begin perspiring sooner into your workout. This is solid evidence that your metabolism is changing. Finally, as your clothes fit more loosely, you can conclude that this reflects an increased metabolism, especially when this occurs before you've reduced the amount of calories you are consuming." (Bob Greene, "Get With The Program", page 67)

Kami 1/12/10

Just looking at the fat jiggle on my arms and hopeing it goes away soon! It should with all the soreness I feel there! lol I have noticed that I am starting to sweat more during my workouts don't know if that's good or bad, just an observation. Anyone else notice this?

Food:
(1)-egg beater w/ veggies (I even added broccoli to mine and my kids' this morning) who knew you could have veggies for breakfast and that it would be okay!
(2) apple/string cheese
(3) salad with cottage cheese and WW roll
(4) a few bites of my families chicken spaghetti (only a few I swear) and a protein bar
(5) something small because of my spaghetti issues.


I am feeling sore and tired, not super excited to be spending my evening driving for a 2 hour dance class tonight (Brin), but thats one of a moms many jobs!

Grattitudes:
That this mornings workout is over and that I am NOT dead (still breathing, barely lol)
A soft, warm bed that I can drop into ASAP tonight!

Joanna - 1/12/10

I'm with Keri - today has been tough for me too. I'm feeling more and more sore today - both from yesterdays workout that's catching up with me - and today's workout. I also stayed up a bit later last night than I have been lately and I feel just totally exhausted - physically and mentally.

I'm also realizing that if I don't write down and plan my foods at the beginning of the day - it doesn't work out. I haven't kept up with my meals - and have left too much time between each one (it's after 4:00 and I've only eaten twice). Then I'm getting too hungry and probably screwing with my metabolism (just like I was talking about with you this morning Leslie). So although I'm disappointed in myself today - I'm going to keep at it through the rest of the day and I'll turn it around. Plus we learn from these experiences - right?

So here's the food for today:

1. 2 eggs with 2 slices of Sara Lee Delightful wheat bread - ("Eggy toast". I fry 2 eggs (just using cooking spray) till they are slightly done on both sides. I toast the bread and tear it up in a bowl. Put the eggs on top and stir it all up. It's one of my favorite meals. ) I ate it pretty late in the morning so I doubled the size I'd normally do....probably not the best way to do it....
2. 2 corn tortillas w/ chicken - with Laughing Cow light cheese spread inside. Small bowl of carrot sticks.
3. Cottage cheese and rice chips
4. Green salad w/ light oil and vinegar dressing and Lean Cuisine sandwhich.
5. Protein bar

How I feel: Tired and sore. I didn't feel too sore this morning, but it's catching up with me - I'm dying. I'm also REALLY tired - physically and emotionally. But I'm going to get through today - and tomorrow I can have more energy (hopefully!)

Have a great day everyone - we can do this!!!!

Keri 1/11/10

Ok, I am not doing so well today. That was a hard workout!! Maybe I won't say that I am loving it anymore!! lol I came home and had 3 of my meals within 1 1/2 hours. I still have 13 of my weight watcher points but need a pick me up!!

M1-Oatmeal and 1/2 c. milk

M2-String cheese and whole wheat roll

M3-Smartones

M4-another Smartones cuzz I was still hungry!!

M5-hopefully something good

M6-?

Gratitudes: My family, my home, the Gospel.

Keri 1/11/10

Thank you Leslie for the awesome workout this morning!! It felt great to get back in the swing of things. I am so excited for Week 2!!

M1-oatmeal w/ 1/2 c. milk
M2-extra lean meatloaf and brown rice
M3-almonds and wheat roll
M4-protein bar
M5-stroganoff with whole wheat pasta and extra lean hamburger
M6-?

I am so grateful that I have been able to stick with this even though it has only been 1 week. It has been so exciting to do things that I didn't think I could do. I am so glad that Leslie pushes me to the max!! I love it!
I had a costa vida salad on Saturday and I told Karl it tasted like heaven!! I am so glad I have that day to look forward to because then it is easier to eat clean the whole week.

Kami 1/11/10

My arms were so tired from this mornings work out that my arms nearly "burned out" while using the roll brush in my hair this morning! Feels awesome and is a great reminder of how hard I worked.

Food:

(1)Whole wheat muffin/ hard boiled egg
(2) apple/string cheese
(3) egg beaters omlet, with veggies and a little cheese
(4) yougurt/cottage cheese
(5) grilled chicken and veggies


I am feeling wonderful, mostly because I am actually sticking to something for more than 1 week. Normally I would have quit and eaten the house by now. It feels really good and strange at the same time. I am charting new territory.

Gratitudes:
-A hubby that helps me and puts up with all of my crazy ideas.
-Children (Kolby) who tells me I am skinny and beautiful no matter what!
-The word of wisdom to help guide me through the do's (not just the don'ts)
-New clothes on a thinner body (thinking about the future here)

My favorite quote of the week:
"Most people believe that it is necessary for motiviation to come before action, when actually the oposite is true--Action comes first then motivation. -Dr. Oz

I've wasted a lot of time in my life waiting for motivation to come. I will try to keep this in my mind especially on those days where I have to MAKE myself workout and no longer wait until I feel inspired to do so. Have a great Monday!!!!!

Joanna - 1/11/10

Good morning!

Meals:

1. protein shake made with frozen strawberries (I tried Muscle Milk - vanilla. It was better than the AWFUL chocolate one I had last week. Cory tried the chocolate one I had last week and gagged the whole time too - made me feel like less of a wimp).
2. apple & string cheese
3. rice with ground beef and green salad
4. cottage cheese & rice chips
5. grilled chicken, green salad & mixed veggies
6. protein bar

How I'm feeling: Stronger. I feel stronger emotionally, stronger physically and mentally. The workout today kicked my trash - but in a good way. Thanks Leslie for giving me "just one more" :) I definetly feel it - but I also feel the blood pumping through my body and that is exciting - I feel alive.

Grateful for:

• A good night's sleep.
• Getting to watch my children learn. I love watching their eyes light up with knowledge and new abilities. It makes me so happy to see them full of confidence (and crushes me when they struggle). I am continually grateful that Heavenly Father has the trust in me to help raise these special spirits.
• Dreams, goals and the desire to work towards something. I don't always have that, and have struggled with depression most of my life - so when I am excited about something it excites me even more than normal.

Mindy Sunday

Meals:
1 yogurt & string cheese
2 protein bar'
3 lean ground beef, brown rice, carrots, green beans
4 whole wheat engilsh muffin, cottage cheese/pineapple
5 oatmeal & apples, 1/3 cup egg substitute w/ salsa

I'm SOOOOO happy to be back to eating clean. It was fun to have a free day, until I started feeling like crap. So next week I will still have a free day, but I don't think I will over indulge like I did yesterday.

Exercise today...none.

Having some inner conflicts today. I'll try to figure it out and move past it. Looking forward to my work out in the morning. I am VERY sore from LBWO Friday. I'll be happy to work through that. I'm so happy that I can actually feel my body getting stronger.

Joanna - 1-10-10

Food:

1. cottage cheese & 1/2 banana
2. lean hamburger & brown rice (We cooked up some of these yesterday and they were pretty good. I cooked them with a little Johnny's Seasoning and some dried onions. Then I added just a tiny bit of ketchup when I heated it up.)
3. carrots & protein bar (yum - chocolate mint)
4. fruit protein shake
5. grilled chicken w/ small baked potato, green salad

How I Feel:

I feel like I need to be better prepared for Sunday. I am just adjusting to the new church schedule and need to figure out meals for the day. Sunday's are one of my hardest days of the week anyway since we're home and resting a little more than normal. So I need to be better prepared for the day when I go to bed Sunday night. Especially right after church when my whole family wants to break out the snacks. But I feel like I am turning a corner and learning so much. I am finding healthier choices coming more naturally, I notice that I want to drink water more than I have lately, and I just feel good about the choices I'm making.

Gratitudes:

The gospel - I am grateful to know the truth and I am blessed to be teaching it to my children. I love their child-like faith and innocence.

Dates with my hubby - We went out last night and had a really good time together. I enjoyed talking about our healthy goals and connecting over those things. I am grateful for times alone with him where I'm reminded of how much he loves me and how he's trying his hardest to support me in all I do. He's trying and I need to try harder. He went and did a Crossfit workout yesterday (which is like military bootcamp workouts). He came home exhausted and then woke up in the middle of the night complaining that he was more sore than he had ever been. He said, "I might just cut off my legs. Then they'd stop hurting and I'd never have to do that workout again!" :) At least I haven't cut off any bodyparts this past week Leslie - must not have pushed me hard enough.

Technology - I am so grateful for the gift of living in this day and age. I'm grateful I can hop on my computer to blog, scrapbook, listen to any music I want - I love it!

Hope you all have a great rest of your Sunday!

Saturday - FREE DAY

So I know we've all been looking forward to our FREE DAY this week. I'm curious to know what you all thought about it? I was actually surprised about how I ended up feeling.

I didn't really have anything specific I'd been wanting to eat - but I knew I needed some kind of chocolate treat. I had that....and a couple other little things. Then I got to dinner time and I didn't even really want to eat. We had a babysitter though, and we needed to eat something - so we went out to Cafe Rio. I just had some of their soup and some chips/guac - but truthfully, by the time we left the resturant both of us felt like we'd indulged too much - for the whole day. Neither of us felt great the rest of the night and talked quite a bit about how we wanted our Saturdays to feel better than it ended up feeling.

So I was grateful for a little break in the routine and planning of meals that I've had the rest of the week - but I just didn't enjoy all the foods I thought I would, and even the things I tried - I didn't think they taste as great as I imagined them tasting....I really think that I learned some about my body as I listened to the cues it was sending me. It felt good to have learned that lesson.

But I am curious how everyone else did? How did you feel after it was all said and done?

Mindy - Saturday

Thanks, Leslie. I finished Assignment one today. It's crazy to look at. I didn't know I was this down. It's good to know so I can change it. I'll post it on my T.com blog. I'm scared of Assignment 2 for some reason.

Today is my free day. I was planning to gorge on brownines and ice cream and cake. But a little taste of pumpkin pie, one pancake, and some frog eye salad...and it's just not as satisfying as I thought it would be. My body is feeling sluggish and I don't know if it's a mental thing or what. But I think I'll be ending my binge day early. I have a goal to be done by 2 pm today then get back to my "diet" (I still don't feel like it's a diet.) No sense in undoing all the good that I've done. Continue on and keep progressing!!

I'll exercise today on the treadmill. I always plan to "just walk today" but it ends up that I feel lazy and end up running. Why do I think I have to kill myself during a work out to do any good? We'll see what happens. Jesse's gone so I'll have to wait until tonight when the kids are in bed.

Assignment 1

Assignment #1

Assignment one is such a powerful opportunity to take an honest look at where I stand. If I were going to acquire a business I would want to know as much about it as possible before I set goals of where to take it. I would want to know what assets it had, how much momentum it had, what its key strengths were, where it was falling short, how much debt it had, the attitude and morale of the employees. Just as I would do that for a business, I need to do that for myself as well. That is the power of assignment one. Take an honest and thorough look at who I am right now: what great things I have going, what attitude I approach my days with, how much debt I have, what areas I am falling short in, what state is my physical health in, am I in tune spiritually, am I living consistent to my core values, how my relationships look and feel, do I feel stress and anxiety and what are they caused from, do I sleep well at night, do I serve those around me with no thought of reward, and am I doing the things in my life that inspire me!

Bill says that our health is like working with wet cement. We can do a ton to mold it, but as time goes by the cement gets more rigid and more difficult to work with. Our health is like that too. In most cases we can prevent bone lose, high cholesterol, diabetes, and heart disease, but the longer we wait, neglect, and abuse ourselves the more damage (possibly permanent) is done.

You would never own a business that you didn’t stop every few months and assess how it is doing and where it is going and we should do that with ourselves too! I would guess that most people never do this and like a neglected business, soon find themselves in emotional and physical bankruptcy. I know that is how I was feeling in Jan. of last year and was shocked and disappointed in myself when I finally stopped and took a deep, honest look at where I stood. I was regretting the choice I made to be married young, wondering if I made a mistake by having so many children, blaming other people and circumstances for my health, and contemplating running away. I was emotionally binge eating, I was eating way too much. I wasn’t eating nourishing food. I wasn’t exercising. My body fat was too high. My energy was shaky and jittery. I had little patience for my children. I was detaching myself from my friends. My house was a wreck and I cared but couldn’t find the focused energy to do anything about it. I felt depression and anxiety. I was spending too much money. I wasn’t doing the things that I used to love. I didn’t want my husband to see me without clothes on let alone touch me. I had turned from my relationship to God because I knew I was disappointing Him and didn’t want to pray. I was yelling at my children too frequently or completely ignoring them. These things hurt to see. They REALLY hurt, but it was in the hurting that made all the difference. By internalizing the pain, I knew that not changing would hurt WAY MORE! That moment set the foundation for my transformation. After I did assignment 1, there was no food or workout that was going to keep me in that pain. I knew that I didn’t want to feel that way anymore. As soon as I was done looking at myself honestly, I was ready to let it go. It was so freeing not to defend my lower self any longer. It was freeing to say that WAS me, but I’m CHOOSING to be different.

Bill also says that most people would rather go through an 8 month tax audit then take a one hour audit of themselves. It is painful. It is disappointing. It will definitely be emotional because we were made to be free. Free of our fears, addictions, and lowest level voices and habits. We weren’t made to wallow out our days on this earth, but to shine brightly not only as an example of health, but as an example of peace, service, and love! To live as He did!

Please spend the time you need to look deeply at all areas of your life like you would a business. Decide now what works for you and what doesn’t and set the foundation for a healthier and more peaceful you!

All my love, Leslie

Sundee-

Just thought I would let you know what I am going to eat today!

EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just kidding! But I did buy some strawberries to dip in chocolate and am making waffles with lots of syrup for breakfast!!!

HAPPY FREE DAY!!

What are you all going to eat today!!!

Yeah For Week One

Thank you so much for letting me train you this week! I have really enjoyed spending my mornings with you. You all have such positive attitudes and desire to work hard--it is contagious. I worked extra hard at the gym because I saw how hard you were working and convinced myself that I could push myself harder just like I ask of you. Thank you for trusting me and just going with it when I ask more of you! I have made a few mistakes and pushed a little too far, but I am learning to read your signals better and hope to do a better job as I get to know how you tick. I am having fun, fun, fun. I hope you are too!

I just finished going through assignment one. This is such an amazing assignment. I promise if you spend the time and do some serious soul searching, this assignment will be the foundation of an incredible transformation. Bill has given a video intro, a 20 min. ipod lesson, and a written assignment to help you make this transformation more meaningful. These tools are powerful and free! When I did my transformation, these tools were not available.

Please do this assignment with your whole heart and ponder what it is that you want this transformation to do for you. Bill says it beautifully, but I will just reiterate--If we just make changes on the outside, they will not last! All lasting change must first happen on the inside. I know we all understand that principle and have seen it in our own lives and more have seen it more easily in others. These assignments 1-18 will help you make a lasting and impactful change in yourself so that you, in turn, can help and serve others and THAT is what this is all about.

I believe in you! I know you can do this....YOU ARE DOING IT! Let's help eachother as we all transform into who the Lord intended us to be.

assignment #1 http://www.transformation.com/challenge/2010/week-1/ Try to have this assignment done by Monday morning so that we can hop into assignment 2--transforming our environment!

Have a happy freeday!

Mindy Friday 1/8/10

This morning's workout was great. I am very disappointed in my heart. For some unknown reason, my heart rate is extremely high and it limits my physical ability. I thought it was only when I was pregnant (Holy crap! I better not be pregnant again!) but now I think it may have always been there and I just never exercised enough to know it. Or maybe when I did exercise, I felt like crap so I stopped. That's probably the more correct statement. Anyway. I hope to be able to get past it and work out to my full potential. Looking back, I only felt like I gave 80% but at the time, I thought I was giving 100%. I'm only cheating myself so next week I will see if I can power through.

M1: Oatmeal and dehydrated apples
M2: Protein bar
M3: Salad, Chicken strips, rice (yuck, I know)
M4: Protein Shake (they came in the mail today!!!)
M5: I don't know
M6: I don't know

Gratitudes: I'm happy it's Friday. I'm grateful for my beautiful building that I have to work in. Grateful for my business partner. So grateful for the healthy children that decided to hang around this life with me. Grateful for the one who was too special to stay. Now I'm bawling so I'm grateful no one can see that!! Smile through the pain. It only lasts a minute.

Kami 1/8/10

We made it through week one!!! I am so stoked to be through the first week! Now I know I (we) can do it and the worst of the sore muscles will soon be behind us! WHOOT WHOOT!

Food:

(1) weight control oatmeal with 1/2 scoop soy protein
(2) apple/string cheese
(3) ham and cheese on a roll with salad (forgot my home lunch, so I had to improvise with school lunch. Won't do that again)
(4) grilled chicken and zuchini
(5) who knows

How I'm feeling:
My body and muscles feel great! I really believe that the best thing for sore muscles is pushing right through it. I learned that for myself this week. In the past I would have said "I'm sore, I'd better take it easy for a few days". Which, I feel would actually make it worse. I am sleepy from getting up earlier than usual, but am getting so much more accomplished! Hopefully this turns into a great new habit!

My Gratefuls:
FRIDAYS ROCK! I am GRATEFUL for Fridays! I'm always excited to be able to have a weekend to "regroup" and come back to work "fresh". I won't lie, I am SO looking forward to the free day tomorrow. I can't decide if I want Milt's, Costa Vida or both! J/k Maggie Moo's mint with choc. chunks is sounding pretty fabulous too! My plan is to have a "controlled splurge" if there is such a thing! I don't want to eat until I'm ready to pop. I am learning that it just doesn't feel good to do that.

Keri 1/8/10

I love working out!!! I love it more when I am done but I am loving it! I had a hard time this morning eating so I didn't have my first meal until 12:30.

M1-Chicken/brown rice/brocolli
M2-almonds
M3-Protein bar
M4-yogurt and string cheese
M5-not sure yet, probably the same as the first one.

Gratitudes: I had my house clean and my laundry down before I went to work out--I LOVE a clean house!! I love it that Karl got up early and had the kitchen clean for me and then helped me make breakfast for the kids.

Joanna - 1/8/10

Food:

1. Snickers protein bar
2. cottage cheese, rice/corn chips, green salad with homemade oil and vinegar dressing
3. yogurt & string cheese
4. carrots & smoothie made with carbmaster yogurt, frozen berries & (maybe) some vanilla protein powder.
   
5. chicken fajitas w/ side of steamed broccoli
6. I'm not quite sure....I got a slow start this morning and so 6 might be pushing it a bit....
   

Exercise:
I was excited the last 2 days to have added some weight. I'm also grateful for Leslie pushing me while I run. Fast I'm not, but it has felt good to work through it as best as I can. I'm just grateful for making it through the first week and anxious for next week to start. I love the energy it gives me through the morning. (I'm a bit pooped at night....)

How I'm Feeling:
Great and SORE! I am feeling my arms today more and more by the hour :) I have a feeling by tonight I won't be waving them above my head - that's for sure. I feel really great about running errands today. Normally I stop for a GIANT (64 oz) dr pepper on my way into town, and don't hesitate to get treats for my kids and things too. But today I resisited. And Friday morning I have been taking my son Gabe out to breakfast while my youngest is in preschool - our little breakfast dates. But today instead of going in somewhere to indulge (where I normally end up eating 1/2 of his food too) I grabbed him a yogurt in the McDonald's drive through, and a Diet Coke for me. I didn't even drink any of it for a couple of hours and now it doesn't even taste all that great. Anyway - it felt good to have been able to not even be terribly tempted at McD's. Then we headed to the library instead and got a BIG pile of books. Books are much less fattening than an Egg McMuffin. Anyway - they seem like small victories - but a small victory is much better than a setback!

What I'm Working On Today:
I'm adding this for myself. Today I am going to work on positive reinforcement - both towards my kids, and for myself. I have a lot of negative talk with myself and I know that blocks my progress with any goal. Stuff like "It's too hard", "I don't have enough time", "I have no self confidence", "I'm just FAT". I want to work on not letting those negative thoughts and words influence me. I have really seen that when I'm working out with Leslie her positive reinforcement towards me in the workout makes a BIG difference - and I'm seeing it as I deal with my everyday life too.

Gratitudes:
I LOVE public libraries and I LOVE being able to access thousands of books to read with my kids. I'm kind of like a kid in a candy store when we are picking through the books and it's a sure-fire way to cheer up.

I am grateful for quick meals for my kids. I am grateful that they would prefer the faster things sometimes anyway and that they were excited one night this week when I let them have cold cereal for dinner while I ate leftovers.

MUSIC - I love music! It can really pump me up to believe I can do anything. Because you know what? We really can do anything we put our minds to!

Keri 1/7/10

Holy Cow my arms feel like jello!! I love it though, the workout this morning was awesome.
My legs still hurt way bad but hopefully it will get better.

M1-whole wheat toast
M2-Smartones
M3-wheat toast and string cheese
M4-Chicken (it was sooo good)
M5-not sure yet

When I went to walmart last Saturday they had smartones for $1.80 and then a coupon for $4 off 10. So it makes them $1.40. Nice for an easy quick meal.

Gratitude: Lovin' life right now, so thankful for my husband and kids for being so supportive.

I don't love fish but I was wondering about shrimp, is it a good thing to eat?

Sundee

For some reason I am DRAGGING today! I think my body is trying to get used to all the new changes. I am pretty sore too. Maybe that has something to do with it. I know it will all change with time. I did give myself a B 12 injeciton yesterday so hopefull it kicks in soon. I feel more energy when I have those shots. I think I need to be drinking more water too.

Today's menu

M1-Omelet- muffin ( I made blue berry muffins for my kids this morning. I added some vanilla protein powder and some wheat germ. They still tasted really good!) I really packed in the green peppers, onion, and mushrooms this morning with the omelet. It really seemed like I was eating a lot.

M2-apple and string cheese

M3-Cottage cheese, frozen berries, and zero point soup

M4-Atkins protein bar- has less than 2 grams of sugar so I'm going to give it a try.

M5-Grilled halibut, sweet potato, broccoli.

M6?
Today- I am thankful for a hot shower. I know that sound silly but can you imagine having a cold shower everyday? So greatful for indoor plumbing.